Broken Pieces Shattered Lives
by touchnotthecat
Summary: Lies, they torment us and warp our futures. But the truth? Sometimes that can be just as terrifying. She loved him, she lost, now what has she got left? "It's okay Alfred, I understand now what I couldn't then, I lied to him also." Conclusion to the Broken Girl. Mainly post events of DKR
1. Prologue

A/N: Here we go, part two of the Broken Girl series, I hope everyone will continue to read and follow my story as we continue through Bruce and Adriana's story. For those of you who have not read the first part, please feel free to read my previous story The Broken Girl. Enjoy! -Cat

Prologue

Anthony Stark sat behind his desk staring intently at his computer screen. "Come on, come on…. damn it!"

"I've got you this time Mr. Stark," The voice echoed hauntingly through Tony's speakers of his computer.

"No… No I just need more time."

"You could have all the time in the world and it wouldn't help you any." The voice chuckled.

"Damn you!" Tony smashed his fist down on his desk and looked back at the screen, "Alright you have me,"

"Ha! Check mate."

"I knew I never should have agreed to a chess game with a brilliant Chinese kid! Good game Ping,"

"My name is Dave and I am Korean, ass!" The game screen shut down as this so called 'Dave' logged off and Tony shook his head.

"Well that was three hours well spent," He licked his lips and considered what to do next, he supposed he could go over the Milwaukee contract but then… maybe not.

Tony leaned back in his arm chair and started to think to about what he wanted for lunch when the door of his office opened up. He looked up to see a flustered Pepper Potts walk in. He really should take her on vacation soon, poor thing worked too hard, maybe the French Riviera, they could all truthfully use some time away.

"Why, hello, light of my life, reason to breath, my muse of-"

"Tony, you have a call on line one," Pepper interrupted him. Tony furrowed his brow, she really did look flustered.

"Can't you take a message, I was thinking we could go for unagi for lunch," Tony raised his eyebrows.

"This is a call you want to take Tony." She shook his head.

Tony glared at her and then rolled his eyes, before reluctantly picking up the phone. "Tony Stark here,"

"Stark? This is Bruce Wayne." Tony felt his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline and he looked suddenly at Pepper. She pursed her lips and nodded before walking slowly from the room, "Are you still there?"

"Yes, yes I am here, I am just curious as too why you would be calling me." Tony leaned back again and listened intently.

"I am calling in regards to Adriana, I need to know if she is there, I … I need to speak to her, and getting in touch with her has proved ….difficult."

"Maybe she doesn't want to _get in touch_." Tony had to keep the snarl in his voice to a minimum.

There was silence on the other end of the phone and then a sigh. "I can understand that, when I was last with her, I… well, I am sure you can understand when I say that something was said that shouldn't have been."

"Hmm," Tony was certainly one who understood mistakes with women were easily made, but that by no means meant that applied to his little sister, "Well, I am sure we all make mistakes Brucie, doesn't mean they can be forgiven."

There was silence on the other line, "I would just like to know if Adriana is ok, and if I could please have her contact information." Hmm, grovelling. Men like Bruce Wayne didn't grovel, Tony would know, he was a man like him.

"I think if she wanted to get in touch, she would, clearly she has nothing to say." The voice on the other end of the phone went quiet, "Look, buddy, I like you, I respect you, I want to help you but I haven't seen Addy in about six months, she said she was going on some soul searching trek or something,"

Bruce sighed again, "If you talk to her could you please let her know I am trying to get in touch with her, that I need to speak with her. It is very important."

"Mmm, hmm will do." Tony's office door opened and a woman walked in. "Ok well it was nice chatting but I have to go. Evidently you know how to reach me, feel free to not keep in touch." With that Tony hung up the phone.

He looked on the other side of his desk to his sister who was gingerly lowering herself into a chair. "Hello gorgeous, what brings you too my office today?"

Adriana Stark looked over at her brother with a confused expression, "You called me here remember?"

Tony blinked a few times and then shook his head, "Oh right,"

"Distracting phone call?" She asked glancing at the handheld.

"Oh you know just another charity case."

Adriana stared at him with a hesitant expression, like she didn't fully believe what he was saying but was weighing the pro's and con's of asking about it. "Right," She said shaking her head. Her blonde hair fluttered around her.

Tony was glad she had gone back to her natural hair colour, when she had showed up at his door step seven months ago, with long black locks and a devastated, gaunt expression he had been deeply concerned about her. It had taken her ages to get back to even a resemblance of her old self.

He knew she talked to Pepper a lot about her time in Gotham but she kept him on a need to know basis. Tony wasn't sure if he could help her more or not, but she definitely needed more time away from Bruce Wayne.

Lying had been the right thing to do. It had been so long since he had seen Adriana, Tony didn't want to see her running off back to Gotham, only to come back a shell of a person again. Too much was on the line now.

"Right, I wanted to talk to you about trust funds Addy!" Tony leapt up from his chair, "I had the guys down in communications whip up this awesome little video clip to get my points across, it's brilliant, there is a cartoon cat!"

"Really Tony?" She looked at him sceptically.

"Really really," He smiled brightly down at his little sister who somehow always behaved more like the older sibling.

"As long as I don't have to stand up, I will be happy."

Tony chuckled, "Hey ya wanna get some unagi after this? I am starving."

"Ugh eel? I think I may be sick!"

"Soooo that's a no?"


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: So glad so many of you are following along with Bruce and Adriana's story! To clear a few things up this will not be AU, the events of _The_ _Dark Knight Rises_ will still in fact be taking place, ergo there will definitely be spoilers ahead, I would hate to ruin the movie for anyone, so please read on at your own discretion. Secondly, please try and think of the first chapter as more of a introduction or prologue, I will be changing the heading to suggest that as well, since it takes place pretty much right after the events of _The Dark Knight_. The story will mainly be taking place after the eight years and during the Dark Knight rises, with emphasis on post DKR events. So please continue to read and I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter One

_**Eight Years Later**_

He stood in the foyer of the very intimidating mansion, wondering if coming here had been the best choice to make. What did he have to lose though? He wandered slightly over the highly polished black marble floors. It was very ultra modern which for some reason rather surprised him. He had always pictured Adriana in a more Connecticut style cottage but then again, this was the west coast, maybe things were done differently here.

He wandered over, across from the front door there was a sitting area with enormous black leather couches that looked incredible structured, with an open fireplace in the middle instead of a coffee table. Then across from that, instead of a wall was glass. Windows from floor to ceiling looking out off the cliff that was there instead of a backyard onto the pacific ocean. It really was breath taking.

"Like the view?" The voice made him jump a little and he turned to see Adriana come striding in from a hallway on the right. She looked quite amazing, in the black dress. It went just past her knees, long sleeves, off the shoulder, tight, black, intimidating. Her hair was a brilliant, soft golden yellow and done up in a very tidy bun.

Alfred smiled at her, he hadn't realized just how much he missed her. No, that was a lie. He missed her a great deal. Her spunk, her attitude, the way she had behaved around Bruce, and the way Bruce behaved around her, like it was forgivable to enjoy his fortune, be who he was or at least who he was supposed to be. But all that was gone now, a thing of the past. "Yes I was, certainly makes one feel quite small."

"That's why I like it," She came to a stop beside him, she returned his smile, "Keeps me grounded. It's good to see you Alfred."

To his upmost surprise she hugged him. Hesitating only slightly, Alfred returned her embrace. This was not what he was expecting, due to the fact that their last encounter had been less than civil, Alfred was surprised she even agreed to meet with him in the first place.

When she pulled back, he got a chance to really look at Adriana. She looked older, but then it had been eight years… She seemed good, happy, maybe a little tired, but then that was to be expected. She was a busy woman, flying from city to city, revamping health care systems, one city at a time, putting the Stark Mercy Initiative into place all over the United States.

"It is a real pleasure to see you too Miss Stark,"

Adriana waved a hand, "Please call me Adriana, I think we are past 'Miss Stark'." Alfred considered arguing but simply nodded instead. "Coffee?" Alfred nodded, "Come on then, we can have it in the kitchen, it's more comfortable in there anyway."

They walked through the house and into the kitchen which continued the ultra modern motif but with some subtle differences. In amongst the black marble there were touches of ebony and frosted glass. The kitchen had a big island with amazingly comfortable looking red leather bar stools along one side and then big leather couches, this time they looked quite lovely and squishy, in the breakfast nook, instead of the more traditional table and chairs.

Adriana poured out the coffee into big mugs and glanced at Alfred, "Sugar or cream?"

"Just a splash of cream thank you," Alfred said smiling at her.

She handed him a mug and then lead them over to the big comfy couches. She sat down and Alfred sat across from her. "So how are you Alfred? What brings you to the morally depraved West Coast?" Adriana smiled at him teasingly.

"Oh well," Alfred fumbled for his words, now sitting down and getting to the nitty gritty, he found himself rather lost for words. "Well, I'm taking a little time away."

Adriana looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Really? How on earth is he managing without you?" Adriana sounded light hearted and teasing, but her eyes dived down from Alfred to her coffee cup. Alfred also couldn't help but noticed she was very careful not to say his name, and her voice went up very slightly when even mentioning him.

Alfred found himself once again struggling for words, "Well," He rubbed his brow with his right hand and looked at her, may as well dive in. "Actually my employment with Master Wayne has in fact ended." Adriana's head shot back up, "He… he asked me to leave actually." Alfred licked his lips. It had been three weeks and he hadn't spoken about it to anyone and found that it was still just as hard. Adriana watched him with worried eyes but didn't offer any words, no false words of pity and no harsh words of gratification, she just watched him and let him decide when to speak next. "You see you were right Adriana, you were completely right in what you said, but I couldn't see that at the time. I couldn't bear to see another blow fall on his shoulders.

I spent year after year hoping it would get better, that something would happen to make him wake up, to start to live again. But nothing ever did, or if anything came close to it, he ignored it. Actually most of the time I spent praying that you would show up on the front doorstep, charge in and force him to get back to his life." Adriana looked pained and opened her mouth to speak but Alfred held up his hand, "I'm not saying that to make you feel bad now, I'm just saying that to try and articulate how wrong I was. You see, I tried so hard to keep the truth about the woman he loved, Rachel, secret. I tried so hard to keep that buried in fact, I let the woman he needed to be loving, walk away from him. You, Adriana, you were the woman he should have loved more, you were the one who kept him afloat when she turned away from him. God bless her and rest her soul, I loved Rachel and still do to this day, but she and Bruce, it wasn't in the stars for them, they just brought bad things into each others lives. Bruce needed to move forward and instead I kept him locked in his past." Alfred stopped. His throat had suddenly become surprisingly tight as emotion battered down on him. How had he let this happen? How had he let the one person he loved more then anyone crumble in front of his very eyes.

"Oh Alfie," Adriana moved and sat beside him, taking his hand in hers and giving it a tight squeeze.

Alfred could only shake his head, "I tried, I tried my best to get him back to the world, back to you, but he… he idealized Rachel. Just like you said he would, she went onto a pedestal, untouched by human mistakes or error's in judgment. She became the one who was taken, and you became the one that left." He looked at Adriana.

A deep sadness settled into her features a little too easily, like it visited her often and stayed there for long stretches in time. Adriana sighed and took his hand in both of hers, "I am going to be honest with you Alfie, I hated you, for so long I can't even say, but then I don't know, I guess you could call it growing up due to circumstance. It's okay Alfred, I understand now, what I could't then." Alfred looked at her with shock, "We make mistakes protecting the ones we love the most, it's so easy to justify them in the moment, and then time passes and it seems like a bigger thing to undo, 'is it worth it now? Will it change anything, really?' These are things we tell ourselves because we don't want to be wrong. We don't want to be the ones to hurt them." Adriana looked out the window at the now setting sun, "I lied to him too. Because how could I possibly face telling him the truth. I don't blame him for being mad at me, for being the one 'to leave' but I just couldn't do it anymore,"

She looked at Alfred and shrugged her shoulders. Alfred put a hand on her shoulders, "I know you couldn't love, I finally figured out how you felt." He considered telling her about how Bruce was now, how he was slowly destroying himself but how could he put that on her shoulders when she was doing so well? Adriana was right it never seemed to end, looking after the ones we cared for.

"Stay for dinner, Alfie? There are some people I would be honoured for you to meet,"

Alfred smiled at her, "Sounds lovely,"

"Hey, maybe you'll stay for a while, a little sun and surf never hurt anyone!"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Adriana guided Alfred through her home and into the main family room, the television was on and three people sat around watching it. They all turned to look at Adriana's entrance.

Adriana took a deep breath and began introducing them, "Alfred, I would like for you to meet my brother, Tony Stark, his assistant and fiance, Pepper Potts,"

"Why hello! Heard so much about you Mr. Alfred!" Tony said jumping up. Pepper also got up, but Alfred couldn't help but take his eyes off the small other person in the room, his heart nearly stopping in his chest.

Adriana went to stand behind her, placing her hands on the shoulders of an eight or nine year old little girl, and gently pulled her soft brown hair out of her face. "And this Alfred, this is Madeline, but we all call her Maddy."

Alfred slowly knelt down to be eye level with the little girl. She smiled at him broadly, she was missing one of her front teeth, and offered him her hand, "Very nice to meet you sir," Alfred took her little hand in both of his and looked up Adriana. She had a conflicted expression on her face, a sort of raw fear was written all over it, obviously wondering how he would react.

"It is my absolute pleasure to meet you, as well." Alfred said, feeling emotion getting the better of him, tears filling his eyes. He would have known those big, brown, almond shaped eyes anywhere. He had, after all, spent nearly thirty years raising someone with exactly the same eyes.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

For quite a while they all sat together in the living room, chatting happily. Tony and Pepper were very polite, Tony of course was just as Alfred imagined him, he made Madeline squeal with laughter when he imitated Alfred's accent for a while, which in turn made Alfred chuckle himself.

"And how old are you?" Alfred had asked Madeline.

"I am eight and three quarters, my birthday is going to be on September twenty sixth, and I would be more than delighted if you came." She smiled again brightly at Alfred, he chuckled and nodded.

"I would be more than happy to attend,"

Madeline giggled, "I like you, you're posh."

Tony came over to sit by his niece and Alfred, "What?! And I am not posh?!"

At this she giggled even harder, "No! Uncle Tony, you are totally ordinary!"

Adriana kept hovering in the corner, on the fringe of their little picture. She was watching Alfred like a hawk. He tried to meet her eyes a few times but then he couldn't seem to take his eyes off Madeline for longer than a few seconds, as if afraid she may vanished.

She was so delicate. She was most definitely small for her age, like a fairy almost. Her hair was long and light brown, just like Bruce's. She also had his eyes. They were inquisitive and a little guarded. Unlike her mother who had round blue eyes that seemed to be a very window into her soul.

Madeline chatted animatedly, and let Alfred in almost immediately. He was totally and utterly in awe of this little girl.

Eventually, Adriana caught his eye and strode out of the room, reluctantly Alfred rose to follow. Maddy looked up at him, "Are you coming back, Alfred?"

"Yes, I'll be back in a moment." Alfred smiled down at her and knew that he was telling the truth, because no matter what happened, he would always come back to her, this little girl. He left the family room with Tony making ridiculous dinosaur noises to gales of Maddy's laughter.

Alfred found the hallway empty and walked back to the foyer.

Adriana stood in front of the big windows, arms crossed looking down at the ocean. Alfred walked over and came to a stop beside her, "Adriana what happened?" Adriana looked at Alfred and gave a sardonic, teasing smile, "You know that I mean,"

Adriana shook her head and looked back out at the water. "I don't know, Alfred." She shrugged her shoulders. "By the time I found out I was in California, and I mean it was a miracle I made it there with out losing her. And then I thought, well just one ultrasound..." Adriana's eyes became misted over, "And I saw her and that was it. I was in love, like I had never, _ever _been before." She looked at Alfred and smiled and he couldn't help but smile back at her, "I must have picked up the phone a million times to call Bruce, but I just couldn't. Then I thought, how can I tell him over the phone? That's no way to find out you are a father." Her eyes drifted back to the sea, but in reality they were miles away, "Then she was born and she was perfect and amazing and adorable. So I thought, okay, now… now I'll just go, just go back to Gotham, but how could I travel with a brand new baby? Then she was a toddler, and then she was a child and then years were flying by." Adriana shook her head, "I didn't know how to keep up with it.

She asked about her father of course, and it was so simple to just say, that he is a good man, who is working very hard to make this world a better place, and he was busy right now but that he would be with her as soon as he could." She sighed, her voice was thick with emotion, "I kept hoping he would call, or show up but he never did… and then I thought, well at her next birthday I will take her and we can just deal with it together. But then… I just didn't, her fifth birthday turned into her sixth and then her seventh."

Adriana shrugged again, "I … I know it's horrible, and I am the worst most selfish person. But I couldn't stand the thought of going back, couldn't stand the thought of seeing him again. I wanted…. no, I want Madeline to know her father, I want that so bad, but the thought of being around him, existing in the same circle again and having to try and pretend… pretend like I am ok, or like it never happened? It's unbearable." Adriana looked at Alfred with such pain in her face. She chuckled slightly through her tears, "And besides, how could I bear to share that perfect little girls love?"


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

_Eight Years Ago…_

_Adriana lay in bed looking at the baby girl in her arms, all six pounds and eight ounces of her. Her perfect little creation. Well her and Bruce's creation. She kissed her little girls forehead, taking in her wonderfully intoxicating new born smell. _

_"Have you still not stopped crying?" Adriana looked up to see Tony leaning in the door way. Poor guy looked like hell. He had been up with her for the past twenty six hours, bless his heart. _

_"Shut up, I am very hormonal and vulnerable," Adriana snapped back at him, but in a whisper. She didn't want to startle her new little bundle of joy. _

_"Mmm hmm," Tony walked into the private hospital room and sat in the arm chair beside her bed, "I brought you a coffee," _

_Adriana looked up at her brother with a glare, "I can't have coffee, Tony." _

_"You've had the baby,"_

_"Ya but now I have to nurse, you dork." Adriana rolled her eyes and looked back at her little girl. Irritated, she rubbed a tear off her cheek. She couldn't seem to stop. The tears just kept coming, it wasn't that she was balling, the tears just kept coming. _

_"Ah well, more for me then." Tony sipped the drink, and Adriana smelt the aroma of espresso. Her brother could be such a terrific ass. "Oh, I picked this up for the little doll face." Adriana glanced over expecting to see some stuffy from the lobby. She couldn't possibly think of what else Tony could buy for her little girl, he had filled more than eighty percent of her nursery single handedly. Instead, he was holding up a very delicate, very tiny, gleaming silver spoon with a big pink bow wrapped around it. Adriana couldn't help but laugh. _

_"Nice, Tony," _

_"It's the truth," Tony sat back in his chair and nursed his coffee. _

_She stared down at her little girl, whose little face was all wrinkled up as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders, "Tony?" _

_"Yeah?" _

_"Do you think I am doing the right thing here?" Adriana asked quietly. _

_Tony didn't say anything right away. Suddenly he sat up and pulled his chair close to her bedside. He looked at his little sister and his brand new niece. "Addy, you are doing the best you can. You need to be here, for this little girl. You need to make choices for her now, not yourself or anyone else." _

_Adriana licked her lips and looked from her brother to her baby. Tony seemed to be leaving a lot unsaid. Which was very odd, especially for Tony. She looked at her brother and nodded. She looked back to her baby, "Could you get me some ice chips please, Tony?" _

_"Ya sure kid," Tony got up, "I will see if Pepper is almost done on the phone too." He gently put his hand on her baby's head and kissed the top of Adriana's before leaving the room. _

_Adriana waited till Tony was down the hall before shifting how she was lying. She pulled up her legs gingerly and then with the absolute most care, gently lay her baby girl on her legs, her tiny little feet just grazing Adriana's stomach, and her tiny shoulders resting on her thighs just below her knees. Adriana gently stroked the pink blanket swaddling her little girl. _

_"Well, honey, seems like it is just you and me now." Adriana felt pain fill her heart as she thought about how this may have played out, Bruce in the chair beside her bed, not Tony. Bruce helping her come up with a name as they jovially argued over whose mother's name would become her middle name. But no, it was just her, her and this terrifyingly little person. "I am sorry it ended up this way, baby girl," Adriana choked on her tears, "I didn't mean for it too. It just got all out of hand. Anyway, that isn't your fault." Adriana wiped at her tears, "One day you'll meet him, and he will love you as much as I do." As if on cue the little girl's face contorted into a yawn as if it was the hardest thing to do in the world, "No, it's true, he will. And he is wonderful." Adriana took a deep breath, "He is an amazing man, and you will make him very proud." _

_Adriana sat quietly for a while just taking in her amazingly beautiful child. Pepper knocked gently on the door and came in smiling. "How ya holding up?" _

_Adriana shrugged, "Oh ya know, fine. Holding up." _

_Pepper came to stand beside Adriana's bed and looked down at the baby, "Have you come up with any name possibilities?" _

_Adriana nodded, "Yes, I am going to call her Madeline." _

Alfred did stay on for a while. He and Adriana discussed his next plans, to go to Europe for a while, get lost in some adventure. But staying with her and the Starks, and especially Madeline, was more desirable.

Adriana knew what it was to love Bruce Wayne and to have lost him, even if not in the same way, and Alfred took great comfort from her presence and understanding, and he also felt she took solace from him as well. Tony confided in him that Adriana still wasn't the same person she had been when she had left for Gotham, in some ways she was better. Her head was on straight, she got back to her passion of medicine and improving health care in the country, stopped behaving like some adolescent, partying all the time with no responsibility. She had also stopped drinking. Completely, no more indulgences. Adriana later admitted to Alfred that as soon as she left Bruce and Gotham she stopped drinking.

'_I was actually on the flight home and the stewardess asked if I wanted my usual vodka and tonic, and I was about to say yes and I don't want to see the bottom of my glass, but then I thought, I won't ever stop. So I said no.' _She had told him. Adriana also told him the only thing harder than giving up alcohol was leaving Bruce and Gotham, '_Then of course, I got home, found out about Madeline and then didn't really have a choice.'_.

Then there was Madeline. She instantly took a liking to Alfred and he helped her with her school work. They would go on little outings to the park, and look at bugs and frogs, things that held no desire for either Adriana or Tony, who couldn't seem to stand the thought of creepy crawlies. Madeline reminded him so greatly of Bruce, it was almost unsettling. The way she spoke and acted. The slight way she showed off when the possibility presented it's self.

One day when out to lunch, after hearing a lengthy explanation about tide movement Madeline had just learned about, Adriana leaned over to Alfred, "She reminds me of Tony, when he was little."

Alfred couldn't help but chuckle and reply, "I was just about to say she reminded me of Bruce at that age."

Adriana sat back and looked at Alfred, "Really?"

"Yes,"

"Oh," Adriana went back to her lunch with a content smile on her face.

Tony, however, who had joined them for lunch from his office looked up, "Oh what? She can be like him but she can't be like me? How deeply your words sting!" Adriana had simply rolled her eyes.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello all, just a warning from the author, this chapter contains what some readers may construe as disturbing or unsettling subject matter, so please read on at your own discretion. Thank you -Cat

Chapter Five

It was late at night and Bruce lay awake unable to fall asleep. The cut on his side was bothering him too much for any real rest. He had sewn it up to tight. He never could do a good job on himself but he would like to challenge anyone to do a better job at that angle.

Now if Alfred had been there or-

His mind cut off. Those where two of the three people he refused to let himself even think about. It was too hard. How could he cope with it all?

The death, the betrayal, the abandonment.

He looked at the other side of his bed. This was the bed from the penthouse, he liked it, so he had kept it. But he still couldn't help but think of the right side of the bed as her side of the bed.

It was funny how a nearly all fabricated relationship had been one of the most meaningful in his life. How many time had he come home to see Adriana tucked into that side of the bed, after staying the night to make it look like they were staying in together.

After a while of sleeping in guest rooms, Bruce had suggested the she simply stay in his room, less for Alfred to clean up. But in reality, it was just so nice to have some lie next to you in bed. To feel her steadying presence beside him, to know that she cared about his life.

Bruce rolled over, turning his back to that side of the bed. She hadn't cared that much, she had left. He woke up from a gun shot wound, and a damn near broken knee to find out from a teary Alfred that Adriana had patched him up and then headed straight on out of town.

He couldn't have believed it if he had seen it with his own two eyes. After everything they had been through? When he finally had the chance to start off fresh with her? To begin the life they had been pretending to live for so long? She leaves?!

Bits a pieces kept coming back to him from when he had been shot. Collapsing in the hideout over the Batpod. Being hauled into some sort of ambulance. Adriana's purple scrubs. Then it went black again. Then the ceiling in the newly renovated Wayne Manor. The smell of fresh paint. Confusing flashes, Adriana's face, Rachel's face.

Then it had hit him, the words he had said, '_I love you Rachel, you know that right_?'. He had thought he was saying that to Rachel. But then, it couldn't have been Rachel, could it? She was dead. How could he had misjudged so badly? How could he have done that?

But then, why had she left? He was foggy from the meds, surely Adriana, surgeon, of all people would know that? Why had she just left him? Why didn't she let him explain?

It had just slipped out, and he loved Rachel, or course he loved Rachel. Adriana knew that didn't she? He had never lied to her about Rachel or how he felt. He had never really gotten into it with her either. That wouldn't have been fair.

He had tried to contact her but she had left the country. Had she really needed to get that far away from him? Was he that repulsive? Her brother had said he would tell her when he heard from her that Bruce was trying to reach her, but he still never heard.

Maybe she didn't want to ever see him again. A small voice in his brain said, '_Could you really blame her, if she didn't?'. _Bruce shifted in bed again, yes he could. She wasn't fair to him. She had left before they even had a chance to…. to what?

He closed his eyes, rubbing his hands over his face. He could still see her, in his minds eye. It was one of those rare days when Alfred actually convinced Bruce to go to the country club for a few hours, get in a game of racket ball or two. Try and pretend to have a social life.

They were in the lounge afterwards, Stuart Lexington was harping on about how unfair his father was being about making him actually go into the office on weekdays. Bruce was zoning out wondering how much longer he would need to be there for it to be considered an appropriate outing. Then he saw her.

She was walking in from the outdoor tennis courts, she had blonde hair then, before she had dyed it. She was in an all white tennis dress and still had one ball hitched up the right side of her skirt. Evidently she had been playing with Nathaniel Jones because he came in on her heels, looking like he was talking away, but she didn't seem to be paying him the slightest bit of attention.

Bruce couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. This new girl to their club. New people were rare, and usually only spouses of already existing members. The thought of this gorgeous woman being married to the obnoxious and borderline offensive Nathaniel Jones was a crime against humanity. Bruce didn't usually notice women, this was unusual. Something about her was unusual, the way she moved, the way she simply seemed to exist with everything else moving around her; like it was something apart from her.

Evidently Stuart noticed Bruce staring because the next words he spoke Bruce paid attention too, "Oh, you noticed the new addition did you?"

"Who is she?"

"Adriana Stark, fresh in from the West Coast, evidently she just bought out the lease to Mercy West Hospital, plans on turning it into a private facility." Stuart shook his head, " 'Bout time too. I dread the thought of needing to go the hospital and being carted off the Gotham General, eh Bruce?"

But Bruce wasn't listening. Obviously feeling his unwavering gaze, Adriana looked up and across the lounge to where Bruce was standing, leaning up against the bar. She smiled at him, he smiled back, she inclined her head and excused herself from Nathaniel and walked right by Bruce to the women's locker room. From then on he had been intrigued, to say the least.

But it didn't matter now, any of it. She was gone. Adriana had left him. Bruce rolled over once again, this time on to Adriana's side of the bed. He buried his head in her pillow wishing he could smell her hair, that vanilla that seemed to haunt him, but instead all he smelt was fabric softener.

Bruce eventually lapsed into an unsettled sleep.

All of a sudden Bruce was sitting in the restaurant he had meant to take Adriana to for their first 'date'. The one he so fatefully stood her up on. He looked around confused. The restaurant was empty except for him. He was sitting at a table that was set for three people but he was the only one sitting down at it.

No, that was wrong Adriana was sitting across from him. She was wearing the dress she had been wearing the night he had taken her to her fund raiser; the strapless sweetheart neckline, that started jet black and as it made its way into the flared fishtail skirt, it turned a bright crimson. Her hair was black but it had been hacked off around her shoulders at odd angles.

"Adriana, what are we doing here? I don't seem to remember-" Bruce started to speak but Adriana acted like she hadn't heard him. She just kept mouthing something to him, over and over and over again. Her expression getting more and more pained as he didn't react to her words, "What? What are you trying to say? I can't.. your speaking to fast."

He continued to watch her lips but they were moving to fast. Her eyes filled with tears, they started to roll down her cheeks, "I can't hear you!" Bruce yelled at her, trying to reach over the table, "I can't-"

All of a sudden her scream filled the empty restaurant, "WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME BRUCE?"

"I do love you, Adriana I do!" He says, still trying to reach across the table for her.

Her face fills with hope, "You do?"

"Yes, I love you, I am sorry I should have…" But as he is saying these words, as she begins to smile at this admission, blood starts to pour out of her mouth and she becomes panicked again. "Adriana!" This time Bruce throws the table out of the way, he is kneeling in front of her. She is panicking, sobbing, as blood, deep reddish-black blood, pours out onto her lap. "Oh my god, oh my god, It's ok, I am gonna get you outta here." Bruce says trying to frantically wipe the blood away. Where is it coming from? How is she bleeding this much?

"I'm gonna die!" She garbled out at him, sputtering on the blood, it spatters onto the white shirt he is wearing. She is hitting him in the chest, her eyes begging him to do something, to save her.

"No! No! I won't let you die! I won't let you go!" Bruce screams at her. She is getting paler, he is running out of time.

Suddenly she is calm and stops hitting him. Her blue eyes suddenly go dull, "I am going to die Bruce, I am going to die because you don't love me."

"No! No, that isn't true, I do love you! I do! I love you Adriana." She shakes her head tears in those still lifeless eyes.

"You chose her." Suddenly her mouth is splitting up her cheeks. She starts screaming.

"No Adriana, I can save you! I can do this." Suddenly she is pulled away from him. Backwards through the restaurant until she is beside Bane. He stands there, holding Adriana up by her right arm. She had gone limp, like a rag doll. She looks like nothing beside him. "Please," Bruce begs, "Please, you have to let me help her, I have to let her know I love her."

"No," Bane says simply.

"No? No!? It can't be no! She is dying." Bruce screams.

Bane's eyes look sympathetic. He looks down at Adriana's body in his hand and shakes his head. "When will you learn Bruce? You can't win. The clown took the other one and now I will take her." With that Bane turned and started to walk from the restaurant. Bruce screamed, trying to get up, trying to run after him, but he couldn't move, he was falling, being pulled down into the floor. This was it, he was going to loose her. And all he could see of her was the Joker like grin spread across her beautiful face.

Suddenly Bruce is sitting upright in bed. A cold sweat covering his body. This is the dream that haunts him. Adriana dying. Adriana not knowing he loved her… he still loved her. He ran his hands through his hair.

He couldn't find her now. Bane would certainly use her against him. It was far to dangerous. Bruce looked out the window, it was turning a light grey outside and he wondered vaguely if he would ever get the chance to tell Adriana Stark that he loved her with all his heart.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Alfred and Adriana both watched in terror as the news kept imparting terrible updates out of Gotham, most of the time Adriana had to get up and leave the room, she couldn't stand it. What it meant for the city that was so dysfunctional, but she still managed to fall in love with, and for the man, that had not only changed her life but given her the greatest gift possible. Adriana stood in the kitchen after turning off the television in the living room and finding sanctuary here, in the heart of her home.

Batman had disappeared from Gotham. No one knew where he was or what was happening. Bane had taken over the city. It was closed off from the rest of the world, under threat of nuclear explosion. It seemed like everything was falling apart again.

It was as if for the past eight years Adriana had been living her life in a small pocket of reality. The rest of the world unable to touch herself or her daughter. She had left the craziness behind her. She had stripped away pieces of herself so that she could appear normal… undamaged; but now, she felt just the same as she had when she left Gotham. That same terror of losing herself to the chaos.

She thought of Bruce… missing… please let him only be missing. She didn't think she could cope with any other reality. At least when he had been in seclusion she had known he was safe… but this, this was torment.

Adriana heard the front door open and close and a loud voice fill the entrance hall. The patter of feet coming down the hall alerted Adriana that soon she wouldn't be alone, she straightened up, brushed her hair back from her face and took a deep breath. No sense in upsetting Madeline.

The little girl came barrelling into the room, without hesitation. "Hi mum!" She yelled. Her cheeks flushed from excitement. She slammed into Adriana with surprising force for one so small. Madeline wrapped her spindly little arms around her mothers waist in a tight hug.

Adriana chuckled, stroking her daughters hair, "Did you have fun at the zoo with Alfred?".

"Ya! And mummy, the new baby elephant was _finally _out with it's mum!" Madeline squealed.

"Wow! Really?"

"Ya! It was so cute, and funny, and fat! And it was soooo big!" Her eyes bulged to the size of saucers, "And he was running around just like a little puppy!" Adriana looked up at Alfred as Madeline let go of her mum, "I am gonna go get my backpack and show you what Alfred bought for me!"

Adriana glared at Alfred putting a fist on her waist, as Madeline ran out of the room. Alfred shrugged. Adriana shook her head, "I don't know who is worse, you or Tony! Honestly I am trying to raise a person with at least some grasp on reality."

"You are only young once, Adriana. And she always says thank you."

Adriana simply shook her head again, "Well that's a comfort at least." She turned putting both hands on the kitchen counter, in front of her. She took another deep, steadying breath.

"Everything all right Adriana?" Alfred asked coming to stand beside her.

She looked at Alfred, "It's getting worse," She said. Alfred's expression darkened. There was no need to explain she meant Gotham. "The batman is missing." Alfred looked at the ground as Madeline came back into the room holding an elephant shaped backpack.

"That's lovely, hun," Adriana said.

"Ya! I want to use it for school, but Alfred said it would probably be too small." Madeline sighed, like it was the end of the world.

"Well, Uncle Tony did just buy you a brand new pink backpack for school." Adriana said watching her little girl, trying to keep her expression impassive.

"Oh yeah…" Madeline got this far away look in her eyes, "Well, I am going to head back to my room and get ready for school tomorrow." She picked up her backpack and hoisted it onto her shoulder. She smiled up at her mum and then Alfred.

"Alright, love," Adriana kissed her on the top of her head and patted her on the back as Madeline ran from the room.

In this time Alfred had stood very still, and looked deep in thought. Adriana turned to him crossing her arms. "Alfred?"

Alfred looked up at her, "I am going to go back to Gotham, Adriana, I have to see if I can find out what has happened to Bruce."

"Alfred, the city is barricaded up. No one in or out." Adriana could hear her panic rising in her voice.

"I'll go to New York then, it is close enough I can start to look…. to plan." Alfred tapped his fingertips on the counter before turning to leave the kitchen.

Adriana felt herself hesitate before the words were flying out of her mouth, "I'll come with you." Alfred turned and looked at Adriana with a sad expression.

"You can't do that, Adriana."

She advanced on Alfred, "Yes, I can, and I will. I…. I have too." Adriana said with a determined expression.

"You have Madeline to think about, Adriana."

"I know I do, Alfred, and I am. Bruce is her father. I have to go to try… try and save him." Adriana sighed rubbing her forehead, "I wasn't there for him before. I left, but I can be here for him now."

Alfred watched her closely before eventually nodding.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Hi all, know it's been a while, sorry for the delay. Okay, so, just one more time, this chapter and the rest of the story will contain **SPOILERS** for _the Dark Knight Rises_, so _pleaaaassssseeee_ if you have not seen the movie do not read on, or else I cannot be held responsible for ruining it for you, ok? Ok! Enjoy -Cat

Chapter Seven

Bruce stood, well, stood was a definite overstatement of fact. He was hanging from this makeshift crutch of rope, trying to let his back heal itself. The pain was… what was it doing? Was it worse? Was it better? Maybe it had reached a plateau and would not shift, not get any better. He never thought he would fear being crippled. It seemed like the list of things he feared was only getting longer and longer.

His mind wondered as he searched for something to occupy his brain from the pain in his back. Nothing seemed powerful enough to distract him though.

'_At least you don't have the nightmare here,' _And boom, there is was the image of her being dragged away from him, Bruce powerless to stop it. He could have kicked himself for thinking that, but obviously that was out of the question.

For a moment, just a moment he let his mind wander to Adriana and suddenly he was taken away from the hell on earth he was in, away from his body which had turned against him becoming his worst kind of prison.

He could see her in front of him. Her stormy grey blue eyes when she was tired. He could smell her vanilla scented hair. He remembered what it was to hold her in his arms. So many times he wondered why he had let her slip away. Vanish from his life, why had he not gone after her? Begged her to give him a second chance? A real chance. Why had he let her slip away from him without telling her that he loved her and everything she had done for him? All she had suffered for him?

Suddenly his eyes opened and she vanished from his sight and other senses. This was why. Where he was now. Who he was now. This is why he couldn't have her in his life. What if he had gone to her? And she had come back to Gotham with him?

She would almost certainly be dead or tortured beyond repair at the hands on Bane. Made an example of; the woman who loved Batman. Clearly his secret identity was not foolproof. He could only thank God that she had not been beside him to face the reprisals of his actions.

He thought of Harvey, going mad after Rachel's death. The Joker had done that. It hadn't been to hurt Bruce, it had been to hurt Dent but even so Bruce felt like he had lost everything. But Adriana had stayed by him until it was too much, the disappointment and pain to great for her to stand anymore.

What would Bane have done, after he discovered Bruce Wayne to be Batman? What would he have done had Bruce not pushed away all those he really loved? Would Adriana have ended up blown to smithereens like Rachel? Bruce could only hope Bane hadn't discovered his relationship (if you could even call it that) with Miranda Tate.

Miranda. Every time Bruce thought of her a wave of guilt engulfed him. She was a stop gap, that was all. Something to try and fill the gapping loneliness that had consumed his life. She reminded him of Rachel and Adriana. Always fighting for what she wanted, what she believed in. All the women he was attached to had that in common, even though they were all very different people. Rachel on her constant crusade for justice, Adriana always fighting for better healthcare and a healthier country, Miranda battling for renewable energy.

But Miranda wasn't like Rachel or Adriana. Bruce cared for her, and was guilty at how he had pulled her into his life knowing full well there was no real place for her. He didn't love her. She was only a distraction. Distraction from the fact that Bruce felt… no, knew he was never going to see Adriana again.

Not only had he let her go, but he had let too much time pass. She was lost to him.

He wondered what she would be doing at that point in time. He didn't even really know what time it was, or what country he was in. For some reason though, he imagined her just getting up. Stumbling out of bed, searching for coffee. He wondered if she still had L.A.U.R.E.N at home to put the coffee on for her, or if she had decided to slum it and make her own.

He wondered if she looked any older. If the past eight years had touched her, or left her unchanged. How old was she now? 32? No.. she was 34, since she had had her birth certificate changed. Only Adriana…

Suddenly Bruce was wondering if she was waking up next to someone. He couldn't seem to picture her with anyone else. It had seemed like every waking moment he had spent being tormented with images of Rachel and Harvey together. But now, now it was Adriana, Bruce couldn't seem to picture her with anyone else but … well…. him. But this faceless man, this idea..he hated it instantly and vehemently.

Bruce really did want Adriana to be happy, but the thought of her with someone else was to unbearable for words.

Bruce took a breath, allowing himself to be vulnerable. After all, he could let it slip this once, in this place. After he had already lost so much.

_She will always love you, you know that. You will always love her. She will learn that. _

That became his mantra until he fell into a fitful sleep.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Adriana stood in her hotel suite's living room hugging herself and looking out the window at Central Park, sprawling out before her. No word from Bruce, no hope in Gotham, no chance to get into Gotham, no way to contact anyone in Gotham. She felt hollow.

She walked over to one of the plush arm chairs and sank down into it. She rested her head back on the chair, closing her eyes, she drifted off to when she had said goodbye to Madeline. Trying to explain to her little girl that she was going to go help her dad, but that she would be home as soon as she could.

"_But you said Dad would be home as soon as he could! And he's never here!" Madeline had cried looking anxious. _

_Adriana had known that that lie would bite her in the ass one day, she just had hoped it would have been in, at least, a few more years, "I know honey, and I know it's not fair. But no matter what, I will always come back to you, ok?" _

_Madeline pursed her lips while watching her mother, "Do you promise?" _

_Adriana nodded, "I promise," _

_"Cross your heart promise?" _

_"Always, sweet heart," _

Now Adriana, sat in New York City feeling like she was letting down everyone she cared for. Madeline, for not doing more for her father, Alfred because she was turning out to be lessn unless to have along, and then there was of course Bruce, the one person she wanted to help more than anyone and the one person she could never seem to save.

The phone in the hotel room rang, which made Adriana sit up. That was odd, anyone who needed to get in touch with her just called her on her cell phone. Adriana reached over and picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I take it this is Adriana Stark?" The voice on the other end was odd. Very effected, accented maybe? Maybe altered by some device? It was hard to tell, although it was very melodic.

"Yes, and who might this be?"

"I am calling because I believe we are both interested in the same party, a Mr. Bruce Wayne? He has affected my life and plans in ways that were… unforeseen to say the least and I simply wanted to return the favour."

Adriana stood up feeling cold all over, "Who is this?"

"Once again with the 'who's, when, in fact, I am the one who should be asking you that question Miss Stark. Who are you and how were you able to make the man about town in Gotham fall so madly in love with you that when you left he fell in to a depression that cause him to retreat from society on the whole?"

It was Bane, it had to be. The voice clicked from the News footage Alfred had shown her of the football stadium hold up in Gotham. She had to stall him and see if she could get anymore information, "Well, you know, one doesn't like to brag, I am sure you are quite the heart stopper yourself, Mr. Bane, is it?"

"Ahh, very clever Miss Stark, very clever, I should have expected no less from you. But it isn't merely the abandoning a morally bankrupt society that has me interested in your flee from Bruce's life, but the abandoning of the cowl that interests me the most." Adriana felt her heart stop. "Oh yes, that's right. I know Wayne's deepest darkest secrets so I decided to look into some of your as well, and you have been busy these last few years haven't you, saving America's poor, tired, sick, huddled masses."

"Why are you calling me?"

"How is Madeline doing? Grade three must be very intimidating for her especially without any parents there to drop her off, although she has never had a father has she? Wonder what Bruce would say about that?"

Adriana felt her heart restart at double time. She swallowed hard, "I don't know what you think you may have over me or Bruce but-"

"Oh stop with the games Miss Stark, it is pointless and frankly insulting, we both know that when you fled from Gotham your womb was no longer bare. I know your dirty little secrets."

"Is there a point to this or do you just like to listen to yourself monologging?"

There was a chuckle on the other end, "I can see why he fell for you, very spunky, I guess you have that in common, you and his other women."

Adriana knew she shouldn't be provoked but couldn't seem to stop herself, "Yes, I know me and Rachel, two pea's in a pod."

"And Miranda," Adriana stopped her furious pacing and was about to say there was no Miranda when the realization of what he was insinuating sunk in. Her silence must have dragged on because Bane continued, "Oh, did you not know of Miranda?" If Adriana had been paying closer attention, she may have noticed the hitch in Bane's voice when he said that woman's name but she was just too busy trying to hear his voice over the ringing in his ears, "Clearly you aren't paying attention to the right kind of news Adriana, it would seem that your past lover has not been as devote to your memory as you have been to his. You really are a saint you know."

"What do you want?" She managed to grind out.

"I want him to suffer, and continue suffering long after he is dead. I want everything to be taken away from him, just as everything was taken away from me."

"I don't know what you sought to gain from this phone call, but you won't get it from me. If you have hurt Bruce in any way, shape or form…. The vengeance will be terrific. I may strike you as a pathetic, morally depraved socialite but trust me when I say I am not without resources and I do not have Bruce's…. shall we say limitations? Holding me back. Also, if you think I was stupid enough to leave my daughter unprotected, you are even dumber than you look. I will give you one warning, do not harm my family, and do not contact me again."

Adriana slammed the phone down on the cradle. She took a few deep breaths before grabbing the phone and hurling it across the room to watch it shatter against the far wall. With that she promptly threw up all over the persian rug.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the delay in the update. Life has been crazy... anywho MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! This is a legitimate warning (Once again I know :P) But if you have not seen the dark knight rises yet, this chapter will give major plot twists away! Just a heads up, enjoy! And here is too more regular updates :D!

Chapter Nine

Adriana dropped her bag of shopping into the chair in the living room of the suite and leaned over hitting power on the remote control for the TV. She was still shaken from the phone call earlier that day, and had gone out to clear her head, and the best way to do that was to buy new shoes. She set about taking off her cream coloured coat when the News Anchor caught her attention.

"An international sigh of relief was let loose today as the stand off over the fate of Gotham city was decided in a clear victory for the good guys. I am now joined by our field correspondent Lisa Szu. Lisa, can you go over with us what happened this afternoon, in an amazing turn of events?"

Adriana sat down and turned up the volume, leaning her elbows on her knees, watching the TV closely. "I sure can, Tom. Things reached a climax here as reports started flooding in that an uprising was taking place, within the barricaded city. No one knew exactly what was happening, except the hour on which the terrorist known as Bane, had set the fate of Gotham on, was fast approaching. As things looked their bleakest, we saw this."

The picture cut away to footage of a big black aircraft flying out over Gotham and then out over the bay. "We were quickly able to ascertain that this vessel, belonged to the one and only Batman."

Just then the main anchor cut over Lisa's droning voice, with what sounded like a rushed after thought pushed through by nervous producers, "We would just like to warn our viewers that the footage, is graphic and may be considered disturbing by some viewers."

'_What?' _What could possibly happen? Clearly Bruce had the bomb, he was getting it away from the city! He had done it! Adriana felt tears well in her eyes. But then… all of a sudden….

An explosion.

It looked bad, but it couldn't be….

Lisa's voice suddenly came ringing back into focus, "And tragically, in all of our confirmed reports, the hero who saved Gotham, and possibly the entire Untied States from the tyranny of the Mad Man Bane, has been confirmed dead in the subsequent explosion."

"No!" Adriana grabbed the TV remote, hitting rewind, but it was just a regular broadcast, there was no way to unsee it. She hit mute and in the deafening silence that filled the penthouse suite all she could hear, ringing around her brain, were the words, '_confirmed dead'_, there was no way to unhear it. "Nooooo! NOOOOOO!" She screamed.

She threw the remote across the room, cracking the screen and watching the colours fade to blackness. That was how she felt, as she frantically shook her head, she was fading into blackness.

"Oh my god, ohmygod." She got up and ran into the bathroom, and wretched into the sink, but nothing came up.

Suddenly his face was in front of her eyes, "No!" She screamed closing them and pressing the heals of her palms so firmly into her eye sockets that white lights sprouted in her vision. She opened her eyes blinking, looking in the mirror, she could see him standing behind her as if he had always been there. She turned on her heel but he wasn't there. He hadn't been there for eight long years. He would never be there again.

"Bruce." Adriana was moaning, like some sort of wounded animal. She was loosing her breath, as if it was slowly being pulled out of her lungs. "Bruce, no, no, no, no….." She fell forward onto her knees, feeling the brutal jarring of the bathroom floor surge up her body.

That was when she just gave herself up to the darkness.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

It all became a blur. She couldn't remember leaving New York, or even being on the private jet, somehow she just ended up at her house in L.A., Madeline running out the front door and barrelling into her.

It got better for a while, being with her daughter made things clearer. Her first day home she kept Madeline home from school, they sat in the living room and watched Disney movies, Madeline complained of Adriana holding her too tight, but she couldn't seem to let go.

Eventually Alfred suggested that Madeline should go back to school. Adriana wondered vaguely why he was still with them. Maybe he had no one else left….

She agreed Madeline should go back to school. Back to her routine. It wasn't far to keep her from her friends and classes just because her mother was terrified to face the day alone.

Though, she wasn't really alone. Not really. Alfred was still with them, Pepper came over everyday, bringing with her food for some reason. Tony would sweep in in a whirlwind, usually when Madeline was home. It made the house feel less empty which was good but at the same time bad.

Deep inside her heart of hearts, Adriana just wished Tony and Pepper would take Madeline for a while, just so she could be alone, alone to break down. Rather than trying to keep it all bottled up like she was. She felt like a shell, just going through the motions of existing. Like she could shatter at any moment.

She didn't know what to say to Madeline. How did you explain the loss of a parent she never really had in the first place? Most of the time Adriana wouldn't let herself think about it, the grief would become to raw, and threaten to swallow her up. And she couldn't let that happen. She had to keep herself together, for Maddy.

Eventually she found herself on another plane. This time headed towards Gotham. It was funny, she knew, ever since Alfred had arrived at her door, she knew she would be taking this flight sooner, rather than later. But now she was on it all she could do was think about what would happen if she just refused to get off the plane.

It was decided as a group that Adriana would talk to Madeline, who was beginning to worry about her mothers behaviour, about Bruce when she got back. Back from his funeral.

She was actually going to his funeral. His empty grave. Obviously nothing had been recovered from the nuclear blast. It was just a headstone, and yet she was scared of going there, more scared of anything else.

She remembered being sad, inconsolably sad at her parents funeral, but not scared. As if the life would just be sucked out of her as she approached the plot where his memory was to lie forever.

Alfred walked a few steps before he noticed she was no longer beside him. He looked back at her but all she could do was shake her head. He nodded, as if understanding and walked on down the grassy slope, to where Bruce and his parents had now gone to rest. There was a priest, and a young detective. Nothing big, nothing fancy.

Adriana stood beside the house she had marched out of eight long years ago. She had left with the certainty that she was making the right choice. She was setting Bruce free, free from his guilt. Guilt of loving two women, of only truly wanting to be with one. One who was not Adriana.

Then she made a choice, to protect her daughter, but mainly, shamefully, to protect herself. She might have had it all. Saved Bruce from this life. If he had known, what he had, a beautiful daughter, maybe he wouldn't have been so stubborn in facing Bane. Maybe he would have chosen life instead of death.

She stood there and watched them all disperse. Alfred stopped beside her and looked at her, tears still fresh in his eyes.

Adriana shook her head, "I'll.." Her voice cracked under the strain of it all, "I'll meet you back at the hotel." He could only nod and pat her on the shoulder as he walked back to the car.

Slowly, Adriana made her way down the grassy slope. She passed a young detective. He looked at her and looked like he wanted to say something but didn't know how. He simply shook his head and walked on by. Maybe he wasn't sure who she was, in the big black hat and heavy black sunglasses, Adriana was barely recognizable. That was how she wanted it.

She looked down at the headstone reading Bruce's name and felt like she was having some sort of mental collapse. She licked her lips and felt all the pain stabbing into her body again.

She fell to her knees on the damp grass but didn't care. She couldn't feel anything but the enormous gapping loss that was engulfing her.

"I'm sorry Bruce, I am sooo sorry. I let you down. I left you when I shouldn't have. I was selfish." Tears rolled down her face as she stared at the tombstone of the man she was still madly in love with. "Now, I will pay for that for the rest of my life. I am trying to be strong for Maddy. I really am, but it's so hard because every morning I wake up and realize, your gone and I won't ever get you back now. And I feel alone. Completely and utterly alone.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Adriana sat on the jet, with her head resting against the cold glass of the window, she watched clouds float by and tried not to focus on one thought for too long. She felt drained. Like she was losing herself, bit by bit. She shivered. It would be good to get home. Back to Madeline.

Alfred sat down in the seat across from her. He looked tired himself, rather worn down. She wanted to say something comforting to him, but there wasn't really anything to say. How could she comfort Alfred when she didn't even know how to keep herself together?

"I think, maybe we should all get away for a while." Adriana lifted her head and looked up at Alfred's words.

"Hmm, what?" She mumbled, realizing how gravelly her voice sounded. But then again, she didn't really talk all that much any more.

"I think that when we get back to Los Angeles, we should go on vacation somewhere, get away from everything for a while."

Adriana pursed her lips and looked at Alfred, "I am not sure that is such a good idea Alfred, I have to get back to work and Madeline…"

Alfred looked at Adriana, "Let's face it love, you aren't ready to go back to work, and Madeline needs to spend some normal time with her mum, the only way to do that is to get away from everything. At least for a little while." He leaned over and took her hand, "You can't forget to live, dear, just because some of those we have lost cannot."

Adriana sighed, getting away for a while could be nice. Maybe then she wouldn't feel like she saw Bruce around every corner. Constantly reminded of him, by every little thing.

Adriana looked back at Alfred, "Do you think running away is the best idea Alfred?"

He smiled at her, "When you are as wealthy as you are Adriana, it isn't considered running away."

Adriana chuckled, "Hmm, well, that is true." She looked back out the window. "I think a vacation would be nice." She blinked slowly, "Do you have somewhere in mind? I don't care really, as long as it's warm."

Alfred smiled to himself, "I think I have just the place."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

It all happened so fast. All he did was look up. And then there he was, sitting not ten yards from Alfred. He looked good, healthy, alive again.

He smiled coyly, as if to say he knew what he was doing sitting in that restaurant, at that time. He knew Alfred would be there. Wanted to send the message.

Alfred couldn't help but smile back, knowing now he was safe, and happy. He was sitting with a woman, maybe now he had the future Alfred had always wanted for him.

But then the reality of the situation hit. Alfred wasn't alone. Nor would he continue to be for very long. The past week had been lovely and he knew this wouldn't last if she arrived.

He got up, he had to leave, had to think of an excuse. Reservation was given away. That would work. He went to leave, but it was already to late…..

* * *

She was rifling through her purse looking for her passport. She knew she had thrown it in there before she had left the villa but now it seemed to be hiding.

"Oh for the love of…." It wasn't like she needed it imminently but she always felt unsettled when it wasn't on her. Finally Adriana shifted her wallet and there it was. "Thank god,".

She looked at her watch an realized she was late for meeting Alfred. "Shit…" She hurried up the steps to the restaurant.

The past week had been heavenly. Wondering around Florence with Alfred and Madeline. Tony had come too, for the first few days, but then had to leave to due some research commitment, but Pepper had stayed on for a while longer. She was back at the villa watching Maddy, as it was her last day here and she wanted to spend some one on one time with her God daughter.

Adriana felt like she could breath here. Like it was a fresh start. Maybe she would look into doing something on the continent for a while. Maddy loved to travel and she had been thriving in the historic atmosphere. It was just nice to escape, feel free. Maybe the reality of the situation was she had never really been free from Bruce, not once in the past eight years.

She looked up to see Alfred stand up from a table and rush to head towards her, the exit. Adriana was confused, the whole trip, all he had talked about was coming to his favourite restaurant, to have the ravioli which was made from scratch and to die for. Now he was getting up to leave?

He saw her and his eyes bugged out, he waved her to leave, to go back to the street without him, he was on his way. Adriana furrowed her brow and shook her head, trying to understand what he was doing.

"What are you…." But she trailed off. Someone was watching them. Someone a few tables away from where Alfred had been sitting.

Her eyes fell on the table. On one of the two peoples sitting there.

Her breath was literally taken away, pulled out of her lungs. All that well being was sucked out of her. She was back to square one, worse then that.

Everything felt like it was shattering. She felt broken again.

* * *

He wanted to let Alfred know he was alright, he would be ok. That was one of the things he wanted to set right. He had to let him know he was ok.

And there he was sitting at the table, if only he would look up. And then he did. Bruce gave a subtle smile and Alfred reciprocated.

Selena was talking about something but Bruce was fading in and out. She didn't know why he had chosen Florence, of all places, to start fresh but she didn't argue, she had only been more than eager to run away with him.

It seemed like she was his only chance at happiness now. The only one who could walk down this road with him, and if that meant giving her a fresh slate, and making sure she kept it clean, then all the better. It was the least he could do to paid back some of what he owed.

But Alfred stood up in a hurry, went to leave. Bruce wasn't sure what he had expected but maybe it wasn't that.

Then he saw her, in the arch leading into the restaurant. Her hair was shorter, only to her shoulder and it was blonde. He hadn't seen it blonde since the very first time he had seen her. She looked amazing, like she had just walked out of a magazine. Red high heel pumps, white slacks that hugged her legs, a white and navy stripped tank top and navy blazer, she looked perfect. Her lipstick was the same red as her shoes and she looked vibrant.

She was staring at Alfred with a confused look on her face, shaking her head like she was asking him what she was doing. He suddenly felt himself sit taller. He couldn't believe it. What was she doing here? She was not supposed to be here.

"Adriana?" Bruce wasn't even aware he had said it out loud.

"Wait… what? Are you even listening to me?" Selena said, but it felt like she was talking to him from miles away.

With that Adriana turned, as if she could feel his eyes on her. Her eyes fell on him. He felt his heart stop as those eyes that haunted him for years. Her mouth fell open slightly. She looked scared. He wondered what was going through her head.

She looked scared, and with that she turned and ran down the steps and away from Bruce.


	14. Chapter 13

A/N: Hi Everyone, thank you for the reviews! Glad everyone is so into the story! I know the chapters have been pretty short so far, especially in comparison to the first part of our story but I assure you they will be getting longer from here on in, so please enjoy! -Cat

Chapter Thirteen

Her heels hit the street from the steps, she had to keep moving. Had to get out of there. It wasn't possible. He was dead. She had watched the explosion, had watched it multiple times in fact. At night when she couldn't bare to sleep, couldn't believe she was in a world in which he didn't exist, she needed proof and would watch the footage that felt like it was sealing her fate of being alone.

Yet there he was, sitting in the restaurant. With a woman. Like he had always been there, on the fringe, but now she had focused on him. And there he was.

She felt like she wasn't breathing.

"Adriana!" She heard Alfred's voice behind her.

"No! No! Alfred, I can't believe this, I have no idea if you knew about this but-"

"No! I had no idea Adriana!" His voice sounded choked with emotion, so Adriana was inclined to believe him, but they were in two different places from finding this out, and she just wanted to be alone.

"I need to go Alfred, I just need to go!"

"ADRIANA!" She came to a faltering stop. His voice. It made her heart break.

And although all she wanted to do was run away, she couldn't. She slowly turned and faced him. He stood there. His hair was longer. And he now had quite the beard. He looked older, but then, they both were.

He looked good, skinnier then before. He was looking at her with shock, she felt that was a bit rich, if anyone was allowed to be shocked, it was her.

She swallowed trying to believe he was standing in front of her. She crossed her arms, and shifted her weight to her one leg. "Hi," Was all she could say, her voice catching in her throat.

"Bruce!" Adriana was distracted by the woman's voice, and saw a young woman coming down the stairs towards Bruce, who didn't even look up. His eyes stayed trained on Adriana. "I wondered where you had gotten to! You left in such a hurry, I was left with the bill!"

Adriana watched in shock as this woman came to a stop beside Bruce and wrapped her arms around his right arm. She felt her eyes bulg, but she took a deep breath and swallowed. Adriana could feel the intense anger build in her chest.

The young woman looked up and at what Bruce was staring at, Adriana. Her eyes fell on Alfred, "Oh! Alfred, right? Imagine seeing you here!" She smiled coyly. Her eyes fell back on Adriana, "And you are?"

Adriana stared at the girl with a cold glare. The girl faltered and glanced back at Bruce, clearly confused. Adriana licked her lips, "Please, don't let me keep you," She looked the girl up and down, her eyes hesitating on the pearls resting at the base of the girls neck. They were Bruce's mother's pearls. That settled it, Adriana now knew where she stood, "Clearly you have your hands full." WIth that Adriana turned away from the only man she ever loved.

* * *

She dashed through the crowds, bumping into multiple people, not caring just having to get to the villa. Get her girl and do what she did best. Run.

Adriana had no idea where she would go, maybe France. She had once met a very nice surgeon from Nice, she could look him up. Or maybe back to Britain, she hadn't been there since she was in med school. Anywhere but here, or Gotham, or the Eastern seaboard for that matter. L.A. was definitely out of the question as well, so was the West Coast.

She and Maddy could become nomads. It seemed like travel books were big right now. How hard could that be? The hilarious hi-jinx of a single mother and her young daughter in foreign and exotic locations! She would read that!

How could she be rambling in her own head?

She ran into the courtyard of the villa she had rented for them.

"Mummy!" Adriana turned at the high pitched voice of her daughter from upstairs. She looked up to see Madeline smiling and waving down at her mum from the upstairs balcony.

"Hey Maddy," Adriana called back up. Her throat seemed to close up at the sight of her daughter.

"Wait until you see what Uncle Tony sent me!" With that she turned and disappeared, obviously hurrying downstairs. Adriana crossed her arms over herself, how could this possibly be her life?

Then it got a whole lot worse, "Adriana," Once again she found herself turning slowly to face the supposedly deceased Bruce Wayne. He was standing in the entrance to the courtyard, looking a little winded and very much alive. He must have been chasing her. How did she not notice that? Wrapped up in her own escape plan evidently. "Adriana, I'm sorry, I just…. I just had to see you, I didn't think I would ever get to see you again."

She could have almost laughed at his expression, he looked hopeful. He was slowly approaching her, like she may spook, like a deer, and take off. "I just….I just needed to see you. I know it may seem confusing but I just need to talk to you."

She had to believe him. Bruce needed for her to just listen to him. He had seen the pain and anger in her eyes when Selina had approached them. That wasn't how he would have wanted Adriana to see him, but he had been so caught off guard, he had just got up and left without an explanation to Selina, then he had raced after Adriana as she had dived into the busy Florence crowd. Bruce had heard Alfred dodge in front of Selina, making some kind of appropriate small talk, he was sure.

He honestly never thought he would ever see Adriana again. How could he possibly be so lucky as to have her hear him out as well? "I just want to talk."

She looked… defeated. Her anger, back outside the restaurant, he could handle her anger. But this… this disappointment in her eyes, it hurt him to the core. She opened her mouth to say something, when all of a sudden a young voice interrupted them.

"Mum!" Bruce automatically looked around Adriana to see a young girl, maybe between the ages of seven and nine come running out the front door and towards Adriana. She had on a loose white cotton dress and her hair was a halo of loose, light brown curls. At first, Bruce was confused but all was made heartbreakingly clear when the little girl leapt at Adriana, who in turn, caught her as if it was second nature to her.

She lifted the little girl onto her hip as if she had been doing it for years. The little girl hid her face in Adriana's neck realizing they were in the presence of a stranger. Bruce looked at Adriana who was watching him with the same sad, defeated expression.

She was gone then. Lost to him. Had he really expected anything different? How could he be so blind as to think she, Adriana the wonderful woman who had enchanted him, could still be free for him? How could he be so selfish as to hope for that… for her?

It was only after he had lost her that he realized how much he loved her. How empty his life felt without her. Nearly everyday for eight years he would wake up and reach for her only to realize she wasn't there. And how could he go to her when his life was in such a shambles? He was a hermit and she was always the centre of society. And then Bane had happened.

Now here he was, spotting her across a restaurant, rising from the grave from her perspective and again he had been selfish. Chased her, just to complicate her life again. How could he never make the right decisions when it came to her? He should have cut her loose as soon as she told him how she felt and he knew he couldn't be there for her. But all Bruce wanted was to be there for her. No matter how far fetched it seemed.

He had to do something, had to move, couldn't just stand there, staring at her with what he could only guess was a shocked expression on his face, "Oh," His voice croaked, like he had forgotten how to use it, "Oh, I'm … I'm sorry, I didn't know." The little girl peaked at him from in-between her curls and he saw her bright brown eyes. She had her mothers nose. She was perfect. Just like her mother. And suddenly Bruce realized why he had been fighting against Bane so hard. He had been fighting for a future. A future with her, Adriana. Certainly not Selina Kyle. But with the woman who had yelled at him in a parking garage and told him all of her deepest, darkest secrets. He had fought to have what he saw in front of him. Something he would never possess now. "I'm sorry." All he could do was shrug.

Bruce felt the tears well in his eyes, and wondered vaguely how long it had been since he had cried. He couldn't say for sure.

He went to leave. He had to leave. Had to do what he seemed unable to do when it came to Adriana, let go.

But as he turned, "Bruce, wait." Adriana came up behind him and grabbed his sleeve with the hand that wasn't supporting her daughter. She was clinging to him like she used to. Like everything depended on it. "I want…." She faltered but didn't look, away from his eyes. "I need for you to meet someone." She smiled weakly, "This is Madeline Martha W. Stark."


	15. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews, I really appreciate all the input and your comments on both Adriana and Bruce's behaviour and choices. Everyone is right. This is a complex situation for both of them, and neither party is 100% right. Humans, eh? We love to mess things up! Anyway please continue to read and review and know that I take all the input to heart and use it to make my story better! Please enjoy -Cat.

Chapter Fourteen

Bruce sat on the sectional watching the little girl closely. Trying to take in her every detail. It didn't seem real to him. She was sitting, legs crossed carefully taking in every angle of the chess board sitting between them. She had been examining the board for about three minutes now.

"Do…." She looked up at him with her bright brown eyes, her face open with all the innocence that neither he, nor her mother evidently, possessed anymore, "Do you need help?" Bruce felt at a complete loss with her.

Madeline looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, "No," She moved the knight without hesitation and looked back up at Bruce, hand under her chin, "Your turn."

Bruce stared at the board. She had beaten him. Sure he had about five more moves he could try but without question Madeline had beaten him. He blinked and looked up at her, she was smiling a broad grin, front tooth half grown in.

"You're very good,"

She shrugged, "Uncle Tony says I am lucky, but Alfred says I am good too." She looked back at the board fiddling with the knight. "You know Alfred," It was more of a statement than a question.

Bruce sighed, "Yes, yes I do."

"I thought so. He said he helped raise you. He is a very nice man. I like having him around." Madeline looked up at Bruce all seriousness, "Are you going to stay around for a while?"

Bruce nodded, "Yes, if you don't mind, I would like that very much."

Madeline smiled again, "Good, I like the idea of having a dad, it seems like it would be very nice." She puckered her mouth off to the side, "Hopefully you will do better than mum's other husbands, they ALL got sent packing!"

Bruce felt his eyes bulge, "Her…."

Madeline erupted into squeals of giggles, collapsing onto her side as she watched Bruce squirm, "I'm only joking! Or as Alfred says 'pulling your leg'," And that made her laugh even harder.

Bruce couldn't help but chuckle slightly, "Oh,"

Madeline sighed slowly recovering and looked at him, "Wanna play again?"

* * *

Adriana walked into the restaurant downstairs, she was meeting Pepper for dinner, before she flew out back to California.

It was extremely foreign to think of Bruce, upstairs with Madeline, watching her, spending time with her. It was odd, he could defend a city and fight against all moral injustice but the thought of Bruce watching her eight year old daughter put Adriana slightly on edge. She kept coming up with freak accidents that Bruce wouldn't know how to handle.

He had Alfred in the villa right across the courtyard from him, so everything should be fine. Never the less Adriana dug in her cell phone. No missed calls, no messages.

So that meant everything was fine. Right? Or did that mean something bad had happened? She hadn't asked him to check in. She felt very uncomfortable about the whole situation.

Somehow, when Adriana pictured herself reuniting with Bruce after all these years, it had looked very different from this. She did picture it after all, quite often, late at night when she was allowed to let her deepest secrets out, when she was allowed to let her vulnerabilities roam free.

She hadn't pictured the animosity that seemed to linger between them. The resentment, that was a surprise. She hadn't imagined feeling hollow, possibly worse than before. She had pictured everything falling perfectly into place, one happy family.

She had most definitely been naive. Nothing was as one expected it. She hadn't expected to see Bruce in a restaurant sitting at a table with another woman, especially after going to his funeral, ESPECIALLY a pretty woman. …. nearly ten years her junior.

_'That's just mean,' _She sat down at the bar waiting for Pepper. She looked up, all those shiny bottles were calling her name in a very seductive way. She swivelled on her bar stool to face the restaurant, away from the bar.

'_Maybe you feel anxious because you are jealous,' _A tiny voice in her head said, _'You've never had to share Madeline up until now, not really.' _Adriana sincerely hoped that wasn't the case. Her feelings were very justified, weren't they? Bruce had never had any real experience with children and now he was upstairs watching her one and only daughter, '_**Our**__ daughter….. when did I start thinking of her as mine? And what did I know about children before Madeline came along? Who am I to say he is unfit to watch her, I was about as maternal as a hyena,'_

The look in Bruce's eyes as she tried to explain herself had been pretty glazed over, hard to read. She didn't feel she had done a good job getting her point across. Maybe if she had explained how scared she had felt… But all he had asked was if he could spend some time with Madeline, not a ridiculous request. Adriana had only been too happy to say yes, that was what she wanted after all.

As she was lost in a swirl of thoughts the bar stool next to her was occupied. She didn't pay attention to the person until she felt very much like she was being watched, if not looked per say. She looked at the person next to her and carefully made sure to hide her emotions, upon realizing it was the girl from this morning. The girl who had been with Bruce.

She looked up from her martini and stared Adriana right in the eye, with her big brown ones. "Hello Miss Stark, my name is Selina Kyle and I do believe we have a matter or two to discuss," Her voice was silky and quiet, even if it was edged with malice.

Adriana smiled cordially at the woman and extended a hand. "Mmm, yes Miss Kyle, I believe we do."

* * *

Madeline laughed hysterically at the blue fish's antics in the movie, all the while munching on popcorn Bruce had had a hard time not burning. Having never watched a children's movie before he wasn't sure if it was a good one or not, but it seemed funny and amusing, and Madeline certainly liked it. Every scene was accompanied by the cry 'I looooove this part' or 'this is the funniest thing ever!'. It was like she knew every word.

He couldn't seem to remember being like that as a child. Maybe before his parents died…. but maybe that was what came from being a well adjusted child, who didn't yet know the pain of loss or sorrow.

Before in the courtyard as the truth had dawned on him, Adriana had handed Madeline over to a nice red head, and sat Bruce down on a bench in the court yard and just dived right into it. Explaining when she had left him, left Gotham, she had been pregnant, with his baby. The rest mostly seemed like a blur.

He couldn't seem to recall much after that, it had become a bit of an overload. Adriana had left him to go explain to Madeline what was going on. She had asked Bruce if that was ok, for Madeline to know the truth about him, who he was.

That seemed ironic. The truth about who he was…. did he even know at that point?

But Bruce had nodded, and the little girl had found out she had just been introduced to her father. She had taken it with the grace of a little lady and just seemed interested that he might be staying, and what he liked to do. When he had mentioned chess, for some odd reason that was the first thing that popped into his head seeming to be lost for words in the presence of this little girl, she had jumped on the chance to play with him.

Now they were watching a movie. Suddenly Madeline reached out for the remote and paused it. She looked at Bruce.

"Do you know why I like this movie so much?" She asked him politely.

"No, I don't… It seems like a nice movie though," Bruce said. He felt very stiff talking to her, trying to remember what it felt like to be eight, and how he would have wanted to be treated, talked to.

"Yes it is, but I like it because no matter what happens the dad fish always tries to find his son." Madeline looked down at her hands and then back up at Bruce meeting his eye, "Did you always try to look for me?"

Bruce was caught off guard, he wasn't sure how to respond. It seemed too cold and complicated to say no. How was he to explain the complexities of the situation to an eight year old? Bruce was seriously unprepared for this.

"Ummm," But he looked at her, into her eyes that were so much like his and the words just came to him, "No," Madeline looked crest fallen, her eyes quickly dropping down again, but on instinct Bruce leaned over and lifted her chin to look back at him again, "No, I didn't have to, because I knew you had your mum and your Uncle Tony looking out for you. I knew you were safe and loved, and well cared for."

A big smile came over Madeline's face, "Yeah, I thought so." She settled back into the couch. She glanced back at Bruce from the corner of her eye. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Yes," Bruce smiled at her. Maybe she wasn't so intimidating after all.

"Do you love my mum?"

He was wrong, she was terrifying, "Uh well…" She watched him closely, he decided what would the truth hurt her? "Yes, yes I do, very much."

"That's nice. Are you going to leave again?"

"Um,"

"Because I have a friend from school and her mum left her dad and her mum got to take half his stuff! Even the stuff she didn't want, and mum has some really cool stuff that I don't think you should take because she really likes it." Madeline leaned forward whispering, "I like a lot of it too. Except for the ugly statue in the family room, you can take that. " She leaned forward even more, "I think it's kinda scary."

Bruce couldn't help but chuckle, "I don't think I will be leaving anytime soon, and I won't be taking any of your mum's stuff. But I can talk to her about the statue."

Madeline smiled, "Thanks." She started fiddling with the hem of her dress. "Ya know, I know a lot about you." Bruce met her eyes, "Mummy talked about you a lot. Everyday almost, and she repeated herself a lot but I didn't mind. I know you like fast cars, and things, and your favourite ice cream is Butterscotch ripple. I know you like reading books about history and military things like Admiral Lord Nelson and don't like talking about politics or sports over dinner. Mum said you like baseball, but never watch it and that you always set your wrist watch eight minutes early. I know you climbed up into the Himalayas and learned how to help and defend people who need you. And that makes me feel really good, but I need you too, so I am glad you are here with us."

With that she scrambled over the couch and after hesitating for a small second she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Bruce felt her tiny body hit his chest and was very caught off guard. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around his little girl. He felt his heart swell with gratitude towards Adriana for at least that. Knowing that Madeline knew him, even the small details made him feel good. Made the task of getting to know her a little less intimidating.

Bruce looked at his watch. It was getting late, but Madeline sprang away from him and stood up on the couch cushion, announcing, "We should make smores and put the popcorn in them!" She leapt off the couch with no fear, making Bruce's heart jump into his throat until she landed safely.

"Um, I dunno Madeline, when is your bed time?" Bruce asked unsurely, but getting up he followed her into the kitchen as she dug through the cupboards.

"Oh not for ages!" She announced brightly. Bruce furrowed his brow. Was nine thirty late for a little girl? But before he could try and remember when he used to go to bed Madeline shoved a bag of marshmallows into his hands. "Here, you take these and then we can start the fire on the patio, there is a fire pit out there!"


	16. Chapter 15

A/N: Hi everyone, here I am with another update, sorry for the delay. Thanks for all the reviews. I appreciate ALL the input, and like to have multiple different points of view, I hope people continue to read.

Chapter Fifteen

Adriana watched the young woman sit down across the table from her. She was very beautiful. She was wearing the pearls again. Trying to get the point across. She didn't need to try so hard.

"I understand your need to seek me out. It must be very intimidating for you to have me show up all of a sudden." Adriana said smoothly.

Selina smiled, her eyes remained cold, "Mmmm, I'm not. I'm curious as to why you think you had any right to show up in his life again." She cocked her head to the side. Very cat like.

Adriana felt her hackles rise a little, but took a deep breath, "Trust me, it was purely incidental."

"Well, accidents don't have Bruce abandoning me at a restaurant, not to be heard from for the rest of the day." The smile remained fixed on her face.

Adriana was caught off guard, this admission was not something that a woman in a fight would normal give. It admits to weakness, a chink in the armour. Obviously, Miss Kyle had never had to save her reputation in front of high society, in a spat with another socialite. Also, if Bruce hadn't talked to Selina yet, she didn't know about Madeline. Well, that wasn't Adriana's truth to tell. She took a deep breath.

"Bruce and I haven't seen each other in a while, we were catching up."

Selina watched Adriana very closely, while sipping her martini, "I know, I know who you are and how you know Bruce." Selina lost the smile, "I think you have done enough damage."

Adriana actually laughed out loud, "Funny, not how I felt when I was stitching him up time after time, but I guess that is a matter of opinion." Adriana played with her water glass, "You aren't the only one who has done some investigating Miss Kyle, I know a great deal about you as well and in my opinion, the holier than thou game? Not your strong suit." Selina's eyes flashed dangerously, "A great many things can be erased Miss Kyle but not very much can truly disappear. This is after all a very small world."

"I make no apologies about my past."

"Thats good, regret doesn't get you much." Adriana watched the younger woman wondering what Miss Kyle was hoping to accomplish by tracking her down.

"What I do know, is that you left Bruce and never looked back. So why don't you just do all involved a favour and leave it that way?"

Adriana leaned forward and folded her arms on the table. "I am going to be honest, I don't very much like your tone Miss Kyle. I have every confidence in saying that, I believe you know very little about Bruce Wayne and even less about me, so don't think you can make assumptions about what went on between myself and Bruce. I am sure you have no idea." Selina swallowed. "I don't delude myself, Miss Kyle, I am perfectly clear that he is here with you, and it _was_ a fluke that I stumbled upon you on your little escapade. Believe me when I say, there is no where else I would like to be less, than bumping into Bruce and his new….." '_Fling'_ _"_You,"

Selina's eyes flashed, "He is here with me because I am what is best for him, not you. I just want to make sure that is perfectly clear."

Adriana let out a bark of a laugh, "Ha, I am sure you are. I mean it must certainly come in handy to have you around if one needed to pick a lock."

Selina sat back a little bit, she looked surprised. It was understandable. She was here under a false name and even her record as Selina Kyle had been wiped clean. But Adriana had Tony on her side, and she had been sure to give her brother a call to look into this _Selina Kyle_. If Bruce did want to be part of Madeline's life, and Selina was his girlfriend, Adriana wanted to know everything about this woman. Even a black ops wipe out program couldn't best two Starks.

"Like I said, Miss Kyle. It's a small world and I have a great many resources." Adriana sipped her water watching Selina closely. Bruce really did have a type. She was gorgeous, that was for sure, luscious brown hair, big brown eyes. Adriana wondered vaguely what attracted him to her, with her blonde hair and blue eyes. "I wonder vaguely what you two discuss at night, the wealthy playboy and the cat burglar…."

Selina leaned forward, "In all honesty, we don't talk much at night, get too easily distracted." '_Ouch,_' Adriana smiled widely at the woman but knew her eyes were cold. "And you can think what you want of me, but when he needed me, when he _really_ needed me, I stood beside him. Where did you go? Run away? Betray him when things got to hard? Just like everyone else in his life. Go ahead judge me, people like you always do."

" '_People like me_'? I hate to burst your bubble Miss Kyle but Bruce is _people like me_. He buries it deep within himself, but deep down, he is another trust fund son of the upper class. Isn't that everything you hate in this world? The entitled?" Adriana watched the young woman closely, talking fast, "Intriguing choice of partner, Miss Kyle, the man who came from everything you despise?"

Selina glared, "You have no idea who I am, and what I feel. ….Or evidently who Bruce is."

Adriana opened her mouth to make another cutting comment but then stopped, "Actually, it is funny because I_ do _know what it feels like, to be scared of what another woman could mean to myself and Bruce. I have no interest in ever feeling that again and I certainly would not wish to inflict that on anyone else. And as far as Bruce, honestly young lady, if you think you _really_ know who Bruce Wayne is, then you are just as lost as I was." _Ok, maybe the 'Young Lady' was laying it on a little thick. _

Pepper walked into the restaurant and Adriana nodded at her, "Unfortunately, the person I am meeting for dinner has just arrived so I have to leave." Adriana stood up and looked down at the younger woman, "But I am going to say one thing. Bruce is a wonderful man, the best I know or have ever known for that matter. But never lose yourself in a man, Miss Kyle, or else no matter what happens you will walk away not knowing who you are anymore."


	17. Chapter 16

A/N: HI All, very exciting! The Dark Knight Rises will soon be out on Blu-Ray and I don't know about everyone else but I will most definitely be having a marathon! So to celebrate here is a new chapter. I hope you enjoy, -Cat

Chapter Sixteen

She walked into the courtyard, tired to the bone. When would this night end? All she wanted to do was crawl in bed and pretend that everything was fine.

'_How long has it been since things have been fine?' _She thought powerlessly. Nothing was fine.

After her run in with Selina Kyle, Pepper had bombarded her all night, with questions about Bruce. How was he here? What did they say to one another? What did this mean? What was Adriana planning on doing? Adriana didn't have any answers. She felt just as lost as she had when she had first left Gotham. When she first found out she was pregnant.

She got to the door and fumbled with her clutch for the key. She heard the rustling of someone standing up off the garden bench behind her. She sighed.

"Adriana, we need to talk," His voice, the voice that seemed to haunt her very existence, echoed around her brain like he had shouted, even though it was barely over a whisper.

Slowly she turned and faced Bruce Wayne, standing there, across from her. His hands were in his pockets, he looked tired himself. Then again it was late. She had stayed out longer than she said she would be. For many reasons. To let her collect her thoughts, in peace, after she dropped off Pepper, to let Bruce have more time with Maddy, and also, so hopefully he would have left by the time she got back, replaced by Alfred to watch Maddy. No such luck.

"I guess we do, Bruce," She put her hand on her hip but made no move to sit down. Even though she was dog tired she felt better standing, like she could keep herself pulled together, easier than if she sat down and relaxed even a little. "How was Madeline?" She found herself talking first. The thought had hung heavy in her mind all night.

"She is asleep upstairs."

Adriana shifted uncomfortably at the lack of information he offered her. "That's good, it's been…. quite the day for her."

"Yes it has." Bruce's voice was hard and cold. Adriana looked up at his face from the potted tree she had been staring at intently. His expression was unreadable, "It's been quite the day all around."

"Look, Bruce, I-" She started, unsure of where she was planning on taking the sentence, but Bruce saved her the trouble of having to figure it out.

"How could you do this to me Adriana? A Child? A little girl? That I had no idea about?!" He took a step towards her, his tone vicious and full of pain.

"I know," Adriana could hear herself sounding whiney and pathetic.

"You don't know," He snapped back at her, "You have no idea what this is like. I bump into you, after _you_ left _me_, and find out we have a child? An eight year old daughter? Who doesn't even know my name? How could you do that to me?"

Adriana was so tired, she felt so beaten down, she scrambled for something to say. "You think I don't know how awful that is Bruce?" He shook his head turning away from her, as if in disgust, suddenly Adriana's feet, as if under their own power moved forward and she grabbed his arm making him face her. Her voice was pleading, begging him to hear her out, "I used to have all these reasons, what I thought were reasons, and I would go through them every morning and every night like they were my rosary. Why keeping her away from Gotham, had been the right decision, the only decision. How there was still time. And then all of a sudden there was no more time. And the reasons became excuses. Pathetic to even me." Adriana shrugged looking at Bruce.

He looked down on her with sad eyes, and it felt like this was the first time Adriana saw him, really saw him, since he had appeared before her eyes like an apparition in the restaurant. Bruce was here, standing in front of her. Whole and healthy. His arm was actually under her hand.

She let him go instantly, letting her hand drop and she looked up at him, confusion starting to creep into her brain. "You died Bruce. You died and I lost you _again_. And then all the reasons, the excuses flew out the window."

She wasn't sure if Bruce had heard her last whispered words, or just had nothing to say in response, but instead he said, "You had eight years Addy," The use of her pet name made her flinch, like a very personal knife, designed to cut only her. It seemed tauntingly personal. "You had eight years to tell me. Why didn't you tell me right away? A call, a letter, anything. A lawyer, if you found the thought of contacting me was so repulsive."

Adriana stared at Bruce with her mouth open. How could he think that about her? "A lawyer? How could you possibly think I would do that? How was I supposed to show up in Gotham and say, I know you don't want me but I am having your baby, do you want to play house with me? I know you Bruce, evidently you don't think so, but I do, you would have done the 'right' thing, tried to make it all work. It would have ruined both of us. And I … I needed to time, to figure things out. But time is funny and then years just kept slipping through my fingers."

Bruce looked conflicted, tormented by what Adriana didn't know. Maybe he was just shocked to see the real her. That vapid, spoiled girl who had always gotten her way. Maybe she had kept that side of herself hidden too well in Gotham. She didn't think she had been someone different when she was with Bruce but maybe she had been. Maybe being with him had simply made her a better person too, and then not seeing him for eight years had made her revert back to her old self. Maybe that was why she thought she could get away with not telling Bruce about Madeline and have everything still work out in her favour?

Bruce shook his head, "I did my best, you didn't want to be with me, then fine. But you had no right to keep Madeline from me."

"I know! You don't think I know how wrong I was? How many mistakes I've made!? I- I didn't want you? You did your best?" Adriana scoffed, vaguely noticing she was hopping from topic to topic but not caring. "Your best Bruce? You loved someone who didn't love you back when I was giving you everything I was! Call a spade a spade. You didn't want ME, not the other way around, and I am a big girl Bruce, I am all grown up and can swallow that. But don't play like the chips didn't fall the way they did." The indignant Stark rage bubbled in her chest.

"I know what happened Adriana but don't pretend like I didn't try. Don't pretend like you weren't the one make perfectly clear that you were done with me."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"The phone calls, the e-mails, I tried, for months I tried. But all I every got was cold silence from you, never a response, let alone information about Madeline. I spent eight years mourning the loss of you."

The words hit her like a ton of bricks _I spent eight years mourning the loss of you_…..Could that be true? The phone calls, the e-mails, she never got any but then again… her heart turned to ice, ….._Tony_.

Adriana looked at Bruce, his eyes looked so sad, like they hadn't seen reason to smile in years, "I didn't know that, I thought after I left Gotham that was that. I never knew about any phone calls or e-mails. I had no idea."

There was a glint in Bruce's eye, but before Adriana could even be sure she had seen it, it was gone replaced by a cold, hardened look that was there before. A look she didn't recognize in his beautiful eyes. "Even so, you should have told me, you should have fought to tell me. I have lost eight years of my daughter's, MY daughter's life. Years I can never get back."

Adriana felt herself shrink in on herself in the face of his fury. For that was what it was, fury. In some small, twisted part of her, Adriana felt happy. Surely that meant he loved Madeline, to feel this strongly about her.

"I know Bruce. I know, and there is nothing I can ever do to give them back to you. Nothing can make up for what I have taken from you. I'm…. I am so sorry."


	18. Chapter 17

A/N: Well, thanks everyone for the reviews, and to _thepixieblonde_, no you don't have to edit, I looooove long reviews and thanks to everyone for them! Now as far as the story goes, this chapter is important for many reasons including Adriana's part in all this. She has become quite the hot button topic it seems, which I am very happy about, a writer always loves to have their writing taken seriously and their characters cause real emotion, rather than a bored interest. So, please continue reading and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Seventeen

Adriana stumbled through from her bedroom, to the kitchen and the smell of coffee. Her hair was a mess and her pyjama's were a mess of wrinkles from a fitful night of tossing and turning. Bruce had left, not really saying much and leaving nothing resolved. She couldn't blame him. She would have hated him, had the rolls been reversed.

She should have stayed in L.A., in her cocoon of depression. At least then her guilt was in her head, not yelling at her from across a courtyard.

She was greeted by the sight of Alfred and Madeline, Alfred standing by the kitchen counter, Madeline kneeling on it, both of them in aprons and covered in dust. …. or flour, she supposed. Madeline looked up at her grinning. "Mummy! Your finally up! Alfred and I are making pancakes!"

"Mmmm, yummy. Good morning sweet heart."

"Morning mum,"

"Morning Alfred,"

"Good Morning Adriana,"

Adriana sat down on one of the bar stools across the kitchen counter from the two and was gratefully handed a cup of coffee from Alfred. "Thanks," She mumbled.

"Mummy, you look awful!" Madeline exclaimed, staring at Adriana with wide eyes.

"Thanks, hun," Adriana said rolling her eyes. Alfred chuckled.

"Maddy, while these cook, why don't you go figure out what you would like to wear today and then I can iron it for you?"

Madeline smiled and before Alfred could help her, leapt from the counter, scrawny limbs flying. She landed light as a feather and took off down the hall. Her seeming flights of daredevil like behaviour had had Adriana's heart leaping out of her chest, but at this point the beating only stopped while Madeline was in midair. Adriana had become comfortable with her daughters willingness to use the entire world as her jungle gym, and Adriana had also become comfortable with Madeline's judge of distance and her own ability. Still sometimes things seemed to high or too far and Adriana would still scold her. She did still reserve that right as a mother.

"You don't have to do that Alfred, she is fine to have a few wrinkles in her dress." Adriana said shaking her head. "You're here as a friend, not as staff."

"I know, but I don't mind. I quite enjoy it, actually." Alfred smiled a small smile, flipping the pancakes absentmindedly. "Makes me feel useful again."

Adriana shook her head again, "Well, better you than me I guess."

"No offence Adriana, but I don't think you could tell an iron from a vacuum," Adriana rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

"Joys of being that tiny 10%," Adriana said holding her mug up in a fake salute.

Alfred chuckled again , but when the chuckled died out, he looked up at her from the pancakes, with a serious look in his eyes, "Rough night?"

Adriana scoffed, "That's an understatement,"

"It's a lot for him to take in,"

"I know it's a lot for him to take in, I am not saying it isn't." Adriana shook her head looking over her shoulder and out onto the terrace, "He hates me Alfred," She said in a small voice.

"I am sure he doesn't hate you dear, he just needs sometime."

Adriana shook her head, "Yeah, time to hire an attorney." Alfred looked at her with a blank look, "Oh come on Alfred, like he isn't going to sue for custody." Adriana lowered her voice glancing at the hallway leading to Madeline's room and she could feel her heartbeat speed up a little.

"I don't think Bruce would do that Adriana," Alfred said.

Adriana shook her head, peering into her coffee, "It's what I would do."

"Would you really?" Alfred asked, she couldn't tell for certain, what with not looking at him, but she thought there was a great deal of sadness in his voice.

"Yes," Adriana said with cold hearted certainty, "But, then again, I am not as good a person as Bruce is." She looked up at Alfred again, he did look sad, "So who knows,"

"Well, the legal ramifications of being dead, I think would make a custody suit a bit tricky for Master Wayne." Alfred said with a slight chuckle, "That will be the second time for Bruce, soon he will have an upstart religion following him around."

Adriana rolled her eyes, "Don't blaspheme before breakfast."

"That what your mother taught you?" Alfred said teasingly.

"No, my dad, only it wasn't breakfast, it was your first drink." Adriana stood up as she heard Madeline running down the hallway, "So you could imagine, the blasphemy started pretty early in the Stark residence." But something in what Alfred said stuck in Adriana's head, while she tried to focus on the dress Madeline was showing her.

"Do you think this will look nice for the zoo?" Madeline said, positively bubbling over with excitement.

"The zoo? I thought we were going to the Duomo today?" Adriana said looking up from the white dress with red cherries on it Madeline had picked.

"Bruce Wayne, Dad, had said we could go to the zoo!" Madeline was positively bouncing on the spot expectantly.

Adriana felt that her mouth was open and closed it slowly, Adriana nodded, "Oh right,"

"I am gonna go get ready!" Madeline turned on her heel and ran like a bat out of hell. Adriana looked over at Alfred who shared her surprised expression.

"Then again," Adriana said, "Maybe Bruce and I are about the same on the righteous scale." With that Adriana turned and went to run a bath for Madeline.

* * *

Adriana could feel Madeline's hand pulling this way and that searching for Bruce among the crowds. Adriana could feel her mouth go dry and her throat closing up. She really wished she was in the cool Cathedral right now, really anywhere but here.

"Look mum, there he is!" Madeline began waving frantically. Bruce came out of the crowd, he was wearing a white polo shirt and tan khakis. And beside him was Selina Kyle. In the back of Adriana's mind she noticed the woman was wearing a white dress, poor choice when one was dealing with kids, but the thought barely registered as her whole body seemed to go into fright or flight mode. She assumed picking up her eight year old daughter and running pellmell through the entrance to the Florence Zoo wouldn't look completely sane, so she did her best to stay put. "Who is he with?" Madeline's waving faltered as she looked from her mum to the new woman.

Adriana squeezed her daughters hand reassuringly, "Must be a friend of his, that he wants you to meet."

Madeline didn't look convinced and watched as Bruce and Selina approached, looking like she was caught somewhere between elation and mistrust.

Bruce and Selina came to stand in front of Madeline, Adriana and Alfred who was watching quietly from Madeline's other side.

"Good Morning," Bruce said, he looked like he was feigning happiness. A look Adriana had become quite familiar with after going with him to a number of society events that he really didn't care about and was uncomfortable to be at. She never thought he would use the look towards her.

"Morning," Adriana said in a clipped tone, short responses would most likely be the best idea. Definitely the way to avoid an all out break down or losing her head completely and causing a scene.

"Adriana I would like you to introduce Selina Kyle-"

Adriana help up her hand, "We've met," She said briefly. Selina was wearing enormous black sunglasses so Adriana couldn't see her eyes but her lips were pulled into a small, tight lipped smile.

"Oh," Bruce looked from Adriana to Selina slowly. "Well, anyway, Madeline, I would like to introduce you to my friend Selina." Madeline's grip got much tighter in Adriana's as Selina slowly knelt down in front of Madeline, her stiletto heels grinding into the pavement as she twisted slightly. Adriana had to hand it to her, the girl had impeccable taste in clothing but had clearly never spent a day with a child in her life. "Selina, this is my daughter, Madeline."

Selina's smile got bigger, much more relaxed looking, although Adriana couldn't really tell if she meant it or not, not being able to see her eyes. "It's very nice to meet you, princess, your dad here has told me a lot about you."

Madeline just stared at the woman. Adriana found herself speaking just to break the awkward silence, "Ok, well, I will leave you all to it. Uh, Bruce," Adriana felt herself flinch inwardly as Bruce's eyes turned on her. "Alfred very kindly offered to go with you to help with Madeline."

Bruce stared straight at Adriana, "I think we will manage just fine, Adriana," His tone was clipped.

"Well," Adriana felt herself want to shrink into a ball of nothing and disappear, but a more powerful side of herself flared up, the mother bear side of her raised it's hackles, "Alfred knows what Maddy likes, what she doesn't like, what she is allergic too, her medical history and since I didn't have time to write it all down for you on this _spontaneous_ outing, I would prefer it if Alfred went with you." Adriana's eyes flashed at Bruce. How dare he use Madeline to manipulate her, inviting her out before even running it by Adriana.

Bruce opened his mouth to say something, argument or not, but he stopped when Selina put her hand on his shoulder. Adriana found herself looking at that hand and then Bruce, who only nodded. "Fine." He said smiling.

Adriana took a deep breath, suddenly very tired, "Thank you," She said but Bruce didn't look like he was listening.

"We are going to go buy the tickets." He turned and walked with Selina over to the wicket. Alfred's eyes followed the couple with a sad look but Adriana ignored them, leaning down in front of Madeline.

"Ok Maddy, you be a good girl for your Dad ok? If you need anything, you just ask Alfred ok? And you can call me at anytime, if you want to come home." Maddy nodded still staring after Bruce and Selina. She looked at her mum with confused eyes. "What's up hun?"

"I wish she wasn't here." Adriana didn't need to be a brain surgeon to figure out who Madeline meant.

"You want to know a secret?" Maddy nodded, "Me too," Madeline giggled conspiratorially and Adriana kicked herself on the inside, _You shouldn't have said that, it was selfish. You can't put Madeline in the middle of what is going on with Bruce! For all you know Selina could be perfectly wonderful to Madeline, they could become very close. _The thought made Adriana want to through up on her shoes. "No, Maddy, that wasn't nice for me to say." Madeline looked glum again. "Look baby girl, Selina is your dad's friend and she means a lot to him, and you mean a lot to him too, so of course he wants you to spend time together."

"But we haven't spent that much time together!" Maddy moaned, "Why did he bring her?"

Adriana took a deep breath thinking about how to answer "I think he needs back up."

"Back up?"

"Yeah, he doesn't know you that well, and I think he is a little nervous you won't like him." Madeline looked confused by that even being an issue. "Remember that time you had your first ballet class?"

"Yeah,"

"And you were nervous you wouldn't be very good, so Uncle Tony went with you to make you feel better?"

Madeline was instantly giggling, "Yeah and he wore a pink leotard too! And Madam Rochette said he was being silly and made him sit in the corner even though the other dad's got to sit in the hallway!"

"Yeah, exactly, well this is like that ok?"

Madeline thought on that for a moment, then nodded, "Ok. But why can't you come with us?"

"Mummy doesn't feel well." It was the quickest lie she could think of.

"You just want to go to the Dodo, don't you?"

"It's the Duomo sweet heart, and I promise not to go without you, ok?"

"Ok." She looked like she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing but Madeline looked over at Bruce and Selina, who were waiting patiently for her and Alfred by the gates. "Mum?" Madeline whispered, so that only Adriana could hear. "What if I don't have fun?"

"Then you can call me, and I will be here in a flash." Maddy nodded looking a little reassured. She gave Adriana one last hug and a kiss on the cheek before turning and taking Alfred's hand and they made their way towards Bruce and Selina.

Adriana stayed where she was in a crouch as she watched them go. Just before walking into the zoo, Madeline turned and waved brightly back at her mum. Adriana could feel Bruce's eyes on her too but she just looked at her little girl. Their little girl


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

_Bruce stood in the waiting room of the small clinic looking around. This was the third stop he had made tonight and was rather surprised to have ended up here. It was a small clinic, in a worse end of town on the business districts south side. _

_At first, the idea of picking up Adriana from work and taking her out to dinner had seemed a novel and chivalrous thing to do. Alfred had positively pounced on the idea. But now, after going to her hospital, then her main charity headquarters only to be directed here, they had missed the reservations Bruce had made and even the paparazzi had gotten bored of trailing him around Gotham. _

_Bruce stood in the little clinic, looking around himself. It was definitely run down but on the upswing. Behind the front desk were two brand new gurney beds and what looked like newly installed equipment on the wall behind them. The pastel green walls around him looked faded but clean. _

_This was not where he expected to find Adriana Stark. After making up their first date, Bruce had spoken to her a couple of times on the phone, and they were supposed to meet at the Country Club tomorrow for tennis and brunch. But on a whim, Bruce decided to meet her for a surprise dinner. He was very curious about this girl who Alfred decided it would be prudent to be seen with. _

_He had read the file Alfred had complied on her but it didn't give up much on her personality. Then, of course, there was the time she had burst in on him, injured after a Batman outing, right after he had stood her up on their first date. She had waited at his apartment for ages only to be shown the door by Alfred. But she had skirted around him only to find Bruce doubled over in his room. _

_She had carefully bound up his ribs and demanded if he needed her help to call her and not stand her up again. She had been very compelling even if it was only for a distraction for the benefit of the public eye. However the paparazzi had left him so this outing wouldn't be reported on; so, why was he still here? Maybe the detective in him was wondering what Adriana Stark, Princess of High Society was doing here, in a slum clinic. _

_As he was looking into a basket on the front counter (and just as he realized he was looking at a large number of prophylactics) a couple of people came down the stairs from the back of the clinic. Adriana emerged wearing purple scrubs, her hair in a messy bun, leading a young girl down the stairs. _

_"If you need anything else, you have my cell number so please don't hesitate to call me, ok?" She was saying, handing the younger girl a plastic bag. _

_"Yeah, I will Addy." The younger girl said blushing. _

_"And please send your dad down next week," The girl looked appalled, "No, now come on, you know me, I'm cool." The girl raised her eyebrow with attitude all over her face, "Ok well, maybe not but I won't throw you under the bus. I just want to talk to him, so he knows a little more how to help you. I know it must be hard for him after your mum passed." _

_The girl shrugged, "Yeah ok, I will." The girls both looked up and saw Bruce who smiled awkwardly, realizing his hand was still investigating the basket of condoms. He quickly snatched his hand back. The girl looked at Adriana who was staring at Bruce with a shocked expression, "You need help? He looks like a cop." _

_Bruce looked down at himself. He wondered what cop in Gotham City could show up in an navy Armani suit. Adriana chuckles, "No, no I'm good." _

_"Alright, see ya Addy." She went, walking out by Bruce._

_"Remember what I said!" Adriana called after her looking away from Bruce. The girl only nodded, waving, and leaving them alone. Adriana looked at Bruce, "Hi," She sounded surprised. Bruce was unused to women in his sphere of society not sound thrilled to see him and Adriana definitely didn't sound happy. _

_"Hi. You are a hard woman to track down." He said walking towards her. _

_She swallowed, a hand absentmindedly running over her hair, "Uh yeah, I'm working." She looked at him and he realized that she didn't have any make up on. Another first for someone in Bruce's group. _

_"Yes I know, that is what your assistant told me over the phone. So I went over to the hospital to pick you up for dinner, but you weren't there, so then I went to the charity and again no luck. So then I was told here... so I came. I knew you were funding some clinics in under privileged areas, didn't know you were actually working in them." Bruce looked around himself admiringly. _

_"Well, most of _us _aren't interested." Adriana said crossing her arms. She was referring to the ridiculous rich and entitled._

_"I am," Bruce said looking at her. _

_She nodded, then glanced at the basket, "Want some for the road?" _

_"Uh no, no thank you." Bruce said, unable to avoid a slight blush from touching his cheeks._

_Adriana scoffed, "Gimme a second, to grab my coat." Adriana turned and ran back upstairs. Bruce looked around himself until Adriana came back down stairs followed by an older looking male doctor, catching him up on what she had been doing. _

_"Night Miss Stark," _

_"Night Bill." Adriana smiled at Bruce and lead him outside. She stopped and looked at the Bentley with Alfred sitting patiently in the front seat. Adriana looked at Bruce with a shocked expression. "You brought the Bentley? Here?" _

_"Well originally I was going to Mercy West, but plans changed." He smiled at her skeptical expression, "Plus, I have Alfred to watch it," _

_Adriana scoffed, "All right then Mr. Wayne, give your good man there the night off, I am parked around the corner." _

_Bruce looked at Adriana, "Are you sure? Cause we missed the reservation I had at Guava." _

_Adriana shrugged, as if getting a reservation at Guava wasn't a huge accomplishment, even for Bruce Wayne. "I know a really good twenty four hour greek place around the corner. Best moussaka in town, and Calamari to die for!" Adriana, without turning to check and see if he was following, walked down the street. Bruce waved at Alfred and then followed her._

_He saw her click her keys at a very nice little Audi TTRS Coupe. He looked at her, on a whole, girls from Bruce's sphere also didn't drive. "Nice car," _

_Adriana smiled, "Thanks, it's the only one I brought over from L.A., it gets me from a to b. You like cars Bruce?" _

_"Oh you have no idea."_

_They sat in the little greek place where the young waiters all knew Adriana by name and vice versa. She was tucking into her moussaka with relish as Bruce picked at his roast lamb. She was quite captivating, he wasn't sure what it was but she wasn't like other girls who were some of the wealthiest on the continent. Suddenly she looked up and caught him staring at her. _

_She swallowed the very unladylike mouthful and smiled at him, "What is it Mr. Wayne, never see a girl eat before?" _

_"Uh no, not like that but I guess a hard day at work would do that to you." Adriana watched him closely. He was using his affected accent of the privileged upper class. That was the only side she needed to know but somehow Bruce felt like he was seeing a very personal side of herself. Maybe if he hadn't surprised her, he wouldn't have seen it at all. Somehow it made playing the part of Bruce Wayne feel a little more like lying._

_"Yes, well seventeen hours on your feet can do that to you." Bruce felt his eyebrows raise, "Yes, I can stay on my feet for something other than the newest Louboutin shoes." Adriana teased, "So what do you do Bruce?" _

_"Oh you know this and that," Bruce said shrugging, keeping it vague was usually the best. _

_Adriana narrowed her eyes, "Well, I know that you still sit on the Board of Directors of Wayne Enterprises even though you are the number one share holder and have no need to see what is happening with it, to ensure it keeps bringing in the bacon." She folded her fingers over her meal and stared pokers at Bruce, "I don't know what you think Mr. Wayne, but even though I am an honorary board member of Stark Industries I have absolutely nothing to do with my brother's company, it merely facilitates my fabulous lifestyle." Adriana smiled sweetly sitting back in her seat. _

_Bruce watched her surprised by the acusation but then again it did make sense. Stark Industries was his number one competition, if he could manipulate Adriana to tell him trade secrets it would give him an enormous edge. It was interesting that she would jump to that. Instead of setting her straight, he decided to play her game, "But that isn't specifically true, is it?" Adriana raised her eyebrows, "Sure, your trust fund is sizeable, but you just admitted, you pay your dues in seventeen hour shifts. Prodigy neurosurgeon right? That has a pretty hefty pay check from any hospital. And if you really were living off your trust fund I believe you would be driving a Ferrari, not an Audi. No, I looked into you Miss Stark, almost sixty percent of your income is going into many different charities and bursaries, including turning around many underfunded clinics, such as the one we just left, out of your own pocket no less. So, no I am not interested in your brothers company. I'm just interested in you. And how you came to be so … unique." _

_Adriana was staring at him with her mouth open. Slowly, she closed it and then took a big another mouthful of moussaka, chewing slowly she watched Bruce, who only smiled at her, waiting patiently. _

_"It was my mum," She said suddenly, "She had Catholic guilt down to a science. Said no one had to the right to be as wealthy as we were without having to give a lot back, and work hard to know we earned it all." _

_"And your father?" _

_Adriana chuckled, picking up her beer, before sipping it she shrugged saying, "His motto was more along the lines of work hard, play hard." Bruce nodded slowly, and Adriana gave him another hard look. "I'm not used to being interrogated on a second date, or surprised," _

_Bruce chuckled, "Oh no? What are you used to?" _

_Adriana looked at him, shrugging again, "Well, first off it usually involves me in a dress not scrubs and make up is usually nice." _

_"Nice, not necessary." _

_"HA! Your sweet," Adriana watched Bruce as he took a bite of roast potato, "You are most definitely unique yourself, Bruce Wayne." _

_He looked at Adriana, "What makes you say that?"_

_"I know your type. Men like you wouldn't roll all over town looking for me, wouldn't wait in my clinic, hoping I might be there knowing that half the patrons are below the poverty line. They would however, suggest I go home and change, make myself presentable, certainly not be seen with me looking like I need a good hot shower. And they sure as hell wouldn't eat in a place without table cloths, no matter how good the moussaka is. I don't know who you've gone out with Mr. Wayne, but it isn't girls like me, which really begs the question who are _you_?" _

_Bruce leaned forward conspiratorially to Adriana, "You've discovered my secret, I am not a superficial ass hole. Don't tell anyone." _

_Adriana laughed but held his eyes, "Joke all you want, but in our circle… well, in my circle, that is definitely a mark against you." _

_"So what, you can be a saint but I can't be polite to you?" _

_"No, I never said that, but I….. I'm paying a debt back. You… you're just _good,_ and that, that is odd."_

* * *

Bruce thought of that night as he watched Adriana looking at Madeline, waving good bye. She looked so sad, like she was being left behind, and for some reason that memory came to him as if it had just happened. Since discovering Madeline, Bruce had done all he could to force Adriana out of his head. He couldn't think about her. The way he felt about her was so tangle that he couldn't make sense of it at all.

He wondered what had happened to those two people in that restaurant. He knew he didn't feel like that Bruce anymore. The thought that he would parade some socialite around, as a further piece in the Bruce Wayne facade had made so much sense. But that socialite had turned out to be compassionate, and smart and compelling and feisty and beautiful. She had saved his life and stitched him up, popped his joints back in place. She had given herself up to be there for him in front of the camera and fake friends for over a year and she had fallen in love with him. And he had loved Rachel the whole time.

Adriana had left him, to save herself. What he should have done from Rachel. He should have saved himself, but he didn't, he just let himself fall further and further. He could have gone, left after Batman took the guilt off of Harvey Dent, but he didn't. He wasn't done mourning Rachel. He kept thinking the day would come that he would wake up and be ready to go to Adriana, but Addy had been right. The years slipped by him, too. Only he hadn't been hiding a child.

Bruce watched Madeline as she looked in the Koala exhibit with Selina beside her, pointing something out to Madeline. Alfred came to stand beside him and offered him a coffee. Bruce took it, unsure of what to say to this man who had been his family for most of his life. The man who he had believed had wronged him worst of all, but then Adriana had shared her truth.

"If I may Master Wayne," Alfred started.

"You don't have to call me that Alfred,"

"I will anyway, because that is the way it will always be for me, sir." Bruce sighed his guilt waging a war inside himself, "I cannot say anything for or against Adriana's side. I won't get caught in the middle of anything like that again. But I will say, Adriana isn't the woman you knew nine years ago. She has changed a great deal, she isn't as bright or as fiery as she once was. All she cares about, in this entire world, is that little girl. That is what she holds on too, whats kept her going."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better about the fact that I have missed those years with Madeline, Alfred?"

"I would like to ask you how you would have changed them? I am sorry Master Wayne but I was there, everyday, and you were not the man I or your parents, raised you too be. You were so wrapped up in your sorrow and guilt over Rachel, you felt abandoned at Adriana leaving, that you gave up on your life, every aspect of your life. What would that have done to a little girl? You think you would have suddenly changed your tune and woken up, ok? No, it would have gotten worse for you, and her. You will never get those eight years back but you can work on making the next eight and the next eight better, for Madeline, with a father who can put her first, not himself and not a city." Alfred sighed.

Bruce opened his mouth to argue but Alfred put up is hand, looking around to make sure no one was around them, he lowered his voice so only Bruce could hear him, "No, now you listen to me Master Wayne, Adriana knew that the only way you could put Batman to rest was if you hung the cowl up yourself. She respected you for that. But how was a little girl going to play into that life? What if she had come back? What is Bane had found out about her? What then? Adriana, like I did, like Lucius did, we knew the consequences of helping you, but how could you expect to put that on a little girl who had no say in the matter?"

"I would have made the choices necessary to protect my family," Bruce snarled feeling defensive.

Alfred shook his head, his eyes sad, "And in five years, ten years, would you have felt the same way? Leaving it behind by choice gives you closure, being forced to only leaves you with resentment. Now you have an opportunity to be a part of your daughters life in a manner that is safe for the both of you. Don't spoil that, and don't think that somehow Adriana hasn't made ever decision for the past eight years weighing the pro's and con's in that girls favour. You need to start doing the same thing Master Wayne." Alfred shook his head and walked towards the two girls. Bruce watched as Alfred took Madeline's hand and lead her further down the path. Selina looked from the old butler to Bruce with a confused and searching expression.

A/N: Hi all, this was a long one, hope you liked it. Thanks **MaisaLin** for standing up for Adriana, I did write the story but I do have a big soft spot in my heart for Addy. You may not like her or her choices, but I do hope you keep reading my story. Also to **Mer**, no, I will not purposefully write Selina in a hateful way. I don't agree with that tactic, personally I think if you have to bash real characters to make yours likeable then you shouldn't even try. And also just so you know, making Adriana likeable isn't my main goal, my main goal is to continue the story I started in The Broken Girl and finish Bruce and Addy's story, happy ending or not. Oh and to **thepixieblonde**_, _ no, not exactly what you had in mind but I hope you like it, and the drama at the zoo is not over yet ;) -Ca


	20. Chapter 19

A/N: Hi all, ok so I know the writing has been a little convoluted up until this point. A LOT of contradiction on Bruce's part I know, but trust me when I say that it is all leading somewhere cohesive. So please, hang in there and bear with me. lol enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen

Adriana stood outside the zoo entrance feeling her heart pound in her chest. What had she done? Clearly she had lost her mind. She had allowed her little girl to go off with a convicted felon and murderer. _Calm down, she is also with Alfred, and Bruce would never let anything happen to her,_ Adriana kept telling herself, but the longer she was away from Madeline the more frantic she felt.

Sure, Adriana hadn't been attached at the hip to Madeline since she was a toddler but this was the first time ever she felt so out of control.

Suddenly having gone to medical school became the worst thing in Adriana's entire existence because the only thing that kept running through her head were freak medical disasters involving young children, sudden brain bleeds, random spiking fevers, onset of seizures, sudden unexplainable allergic reactions. All of these could possibly be happening at that very moment and she would have no clue, what so ever.

Adriana tried to breath deeply but she couldn't seem to. Her cell phone was clutched so tightly in her hand, she was fairly sure she would have the imprint there for the rest of their vacation.

She had tried to take her mind off things. She _had_ gone shopping, but in the first boutique a woman was trying to console her baby girl who was balling her eyes out. Adriana had made a quick exit. She went back to the villa, decided to treat herself but after ten minutes in a hot bath and making an appointment with a local masseuse, she had felt the anxiety creeping up her spine and had ushered the man out without an explanation, thrown her clothes back on and headed back to the zoo. It had been a hour she had been waiting. An hour and forty five minutes since she had watched Maddy and Alfred disappear into the zoo with Bruce and that woman.

Upon coming to the zoo this morning Adriana had convinced herself to be civil and give Selina the benefit of the doubt, sure she was a cat burglar, sure she killed people. But Bruce obviously saw something, so she couldn't be that bad.

_But then again, Bruce dressed up and ran around a corrupt city fighting crime, until he nearly killed himself, so maybe he isn't the best judge of character, the sheer number of concussions he has had… he shouldn't even be allowed to make legal decisions for himself anymore_, normal Adriana would have chuckled at her pathetic attempt at humour, but right now it was taking all herself control not to have a total melt down.

Then suddenly there they were. Alfred leading the way, Madeline holding his hand. Bruce behind them, hands in his pockets looking down at his feet and Selina by his side, arms folded, looking bored. Adriana didn't have time to think about the group before she was off rushing to meet them.

"Hey baby!" She exclaimed grabbing Madeline under the arms and picking her up without a moments hesitation.

"Mum!" Madeline sighed, seeming a little embarrassed, "I haven't been gone that long!"

Adriana grudgingly put her little girl down, "Sorry, hun. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, I did, Bruce, Dad," She had to keep correcting herself Adriana noticed, but it seemed to be coming a little more natural, "told me a lot of neat stuff about bats," Adriana had to force herself not to laugh out loud, "And about other interesting nocturnal creatures."

"Wow, that's pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah, but next time I think you should come. I think it would be more fun."

Adriana smiled at her daughter's bright and innocent face, "I'll do my best baby, come on let's get home before lunch."

Bruce took a step forward looking at Adriana, "Do you mind if I come with you?"

Adriana looked at him, caught off guard a little by his tone, it wasn't accusatory or cold, it just seemed like a normal question. Adriana looked fleetingly over at Selina who was standing a little away from their group. Bruce seemed to know where Adriana was looking, "Selina is going back to the hotel." He didn't offer a reason but Adriana didn't really need one. The last person in the world she felt like spending time with was Selina Kyle.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Adriana said taking Madeline's hand.

"Ok, I just have to drop off Selina first and then I will be over, ok?"

Adriana nodded, watching Bruce, watching his expressions. He was looking at her. Right at her. It felt like the first time since he had met Maddy that Bruce was looking at Adriana and actually seeing her, "Alright," The looked reminded her of the look he gave her in the courtyard after he had chased her from the restaurant. A look of… hope. Then Madeline had appeared and the truth had changed that.

Bruce nodded and knelt down in front of Madeline, "I'll see you later ok, Madeline?"

Madeline smiled and nodded brightly, "Ok!" She rubbed her lips over each other glanced up at Addy, who shook her head not knowing what was making her hesitate, but then Madeline looked back at Bruce, "Are you coming on your own?" Maddy asked, in a hushed whisper.

Bruce looked at his little girl and Adriana couldn't help but let her eyes jump to Bruce's face. He smiled nicely at Madeline, but for the most part his face was impartial, "It will be just me,"

Madeline nodded, "Ok,"

"See you soon?"

"See you soon."

* * *

"I can't believe you are going back there." Bruce closed the hotel room door and watched as Selina walked into their room. She walked across and opened the drapes over the big windows.

"What do you mean?" He asked absentmindedly, he just wanted to drop Selina off. What he _really _ wanted to do was get back to Madeline and talk to Adriana. Really talk to her. He felt like he had been in a whirlwind of emotion since seeing Madeline, like he couldn't take it all in at once.

He felt angry, at first he felt like it was at Adriana, and he wasn't sure he was done feeling that, but maybe it shouldn't have been directed at her. Maybe he was mad at wasting the past eight years of his daughters life, and not even knowing it.

Alfred's words had been true and only honest. But they had hit home. If they were true, Bruce needed to talk to Adriana. He wanted this too work out for Madeline, no matter what that meant for them. She deserved to have parents who didn't only interact with hostility. He had a second chance at his life and he wanted to make it count.

"Subjecting yourself to _her_ again." Selina said casually, Bruce looked at her, "Madeline would have been more than welcome to come here, or we could have gone out for lunch." She shrugged, looking into a mirror and taking her hair out of it's bun.

"I don't think Adriana would have been ok with that." Bruce said putting the hotel key down on the counter.

"That isn't her decision anymore, you are Madeline's father, you have your rights, Bruce." Selina said looking at him reproachingly.

"Adriana has spent the past eight years raising that little girl, she has a right more than I do, especially considering the circumstances."

" 'Circumstances'? You mean me?" Selina's eyes narrowed dangerously, her hands going to her hips.

"No," Bruce furrowed his brow looking at her with surprise, "Unless you forgot, legally I am dead, taking care of a child isn't that easy Selina, until we have worked this out, I want to play things Adriana's way."

Selina shook her head, "I know women like her, she will crush you until you give up the fight. You need to fight for your little girl Bruce, I know what it is like to have a father who doesn't give a damn and it doesn't do you any favours." Her eyes spoke the pain that she tried to keep out of her voice.

Bruce walked over and put his hands on his shoulders, "I know, don't worry, I am not going to give up on Madeline," Selina pursed her lips watching him, that could have been the end of it, but for some reason Bruce couldn't let the barb slide. Maybe because of how vulnerable Adriana had looked outside the zoo. "And you don't know Adriana," Bruce hadn't spoken the words aggressively but all the same Selina shook of his hold, looking hurt and angry, like somehow any compliment to Adriana was an insult to Selina.

"Yes, I do! Women like that are dime a dozen. Rich, entitled, spoiled, thinking they can do whatever they want. Like hiding your child from you for eight years."

"It isn't that simple Selina, not that cut and dry," His voice was getting harder.

"Yes it is, she is just another one of those -"

"Those what Selina? Upper class pigs? Don't forget, I am one of them."

Selina shook her head, her expression reading the thought as impossible, "No, you aren't like them Bruce."

"Yes I am, I am born and breed rich, entitled, spoiled," Bruce yelled back at her. "The thing that snapped me out of it? The murder of my parents killer! That is what made me wake up. Adriana? She is _just_ a good person, didn't need to be deprived the right of cold blooded revenge to make her realize that living in a bubble of the wealthy is short sighted."

"Oh, great, now she gets to go on a pedestal?" Selina growled, "After she left you on the edge of death, after you lost everything?"

That was it, Bruce's already frayed patience came to a swift end, "Actually Selina, Adriana left me after, saving my life, after do so many times before that, _without_ asking for anything in return. She left because being with me was like being with poison. And when she did leave me, she didn't leave me in the hands of a murderous psychopath."

It looked as if Selina was going to argue, her expression was one mixed with rage, indignation, hurt. But Bruce needed air. He turned and stormed from the room, slamming the door on the way out.

* * *

Her cell phone rang as Adriana changed out of her cream pant suit and into a loose blue dress that hung to the floor. It reminded her of the dresses her mother used to wear in their Hyannis Port holiday house. It made her feel like a mum. She picked up the phone and looked at the number. Rage flared in her chest and she pressed the answer button.

"Hey there little mama, just finished talking to Pepper…. Are you ok? Since the whole, _love of my life, zombie raising from the dead, not to mention hot young new girlfriend,_ incident? Want me to come over, you and Maddy can stay with me! ….Ad? Ad, you there?"

"How dare you Tony!" She snarled quietly.

"Usually before you berate me, I at least get a nice hello."

"How long did Bruce try and get in touch with me?" Adriana snapped, trying her best to not shout into the phone.

There was silence on the other end, until…. "Probably close to nine months, before it all came to a full stop."

Adriana felt the ground shake under her feet. Nine months…. Madeline was a month old, "How could you do that to me, Tony?"

"Adriana, you have to understand. When you came back from Gotham you were a mess, broken. And I thought, why do you need to get dragged back into that? You had other things to worry about. And then Madeline was born and you just started to do so much better, and the letters stopped and the phone calls stopped to. And I thought just better to let it rest."

"How did you even stop the calls…. L.A.U.R.E.N….. UGH! Tony you had no right to do that to me!" Adriana snarled.

"It is my job to look out for you!"

"You aren't my father! I am thirty four years old! I am not a child!"

"No, but when Mom and Dad died, I took you on as _my_ responsibility! I made a pact to them to look after you! So no, I am not _just_ your big dopey brother, Tony, I am your family! And that means doing what I need to do to make sure you came out on top. And that guy is not the way for you."

"How dare you, how dare you make that choice for me. Because not only did you make that choice for me but you made it for Madeline, too." Adriana took a deep breath, Tony stayed quiet on the other end of the line, "Tony, I know where you are coming from but I am not a project you can just guard like a possession. We are supposed to be adults. Do me a favour and don't call me for a while. I have enough to work through right now."

Tony sighed, "Alright, I love you Ad."

Adriana pursed her lips, in the past twenty years, no matter what they had never hung up the phone without saying I love you to each other. After losing your parents, slamming the bedroom door and screaming I hate you, sounded vicious and petty, even to a fourteen year old. "I love you too Tony."

With that the siblings hung up the phone.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Adriana went into the living room to discover Bruce walking through the door, held open by a content looking Alfred.

Bruce looked at Adriana, noticing the flush in her cheeks, still riled up from talking to Tony.

"Are you alright?"

Adriana looked at Bruce, "Yes, I just…. yes, I'm fine."

"Where's Madeline?" Bruce asked.

Adriana looked at him, he looked so perfect. His hair was a bit longer. He was clean shaven. Even though, there were a few more lines around his eyes, and his body might be a bit slighter than it had been when she had last seen him, he looked perfect to her. Like he always had. Almost… like it wasn't fair that someone, so perfect, could exist on the same plane as her.

Adriana shook her head, trying to clear it at the same time, "She's in her room, just changing and trying to decide which dolls to bring out and introduce you too." Adriana couldn't help a smile pulling at her mouth.

Bruce smiled too and she almost felt like she was looking at an eclipse, "Bruce, uh, just before she comes out, I was wondering if we could have a quick word?"

Bruce nodded to her and Adriana lead him out onto the private terrace, outside the front door and looking down onto the enclosed courtyard. As she passed, Alfred gave her an encouraging smile.

Adriana turned to face Bruce as the door closed behind him and he was watching her with a peaceful expression on his face, again she felt like he was actually seeing her, not being blinded by a hurricane of emotion.

"Are you ok?" She found herself asking him, Bruce blinked. Adriana stood on the terrace, the early afternoon sunlight filtering through the ivy hanging on the buildings. Bruce had been struck by the same emotions he had felt when he had first saw her in the restaurant. That felt like so long ago, "Yes, actually I wanted to talk to you about a few things as well."

Adriana looked apprehensive, but nodded, "I wanted to talk to you about today, Bruce. I know that this is… an unusual situation but you can't do that to me again." Adriana looked at him, looking firm, like she had practised this speech. Bruce felt confusion furrow his brow, "You can't use Madeline to manipulate me into letting her do things."

"What are you-?"

"The zoo? You told her you were going before clearing it with me. That isn't fair. Of course, I am fine with you two spending time together but I need to know the plan. And also," She took a deep breath as if stealing herself for the next part, "I think that if you want Madeline to meet…._people, _you should clear that with me too."

Bruce felt a flare of frustration rise up again. "I think that since I haven't been able to have a say in the past eight years of her life introducing her to one person wouldn't be a big deal." He said. Suddenly he was aware his upper class affect was coming out in his voice. He cleared his throat.

Apparently Adriana didn't notice, she just glared at Bruce, "I haven't been introducing her to jewel thieves."

Bruce swallowed, his fight with Selina still very present in his mind, he took a deep breath. Although he knew Selina would never hurt his daughter, he had to understand where Adriana was coming from, and he couldn't pretend that she would have ever made a bad choice for Madeline without sounding like a pompous ass. "You're right, I am sorry, this is just a lot for me to take in."

Instead of looking appeased, Adriana looked angry. Bruce had seen that anger before. Once in a parking lot, it had been directed at him after a charity event that hadn't gone so well. Adriana crossed her arms, "You know, people keep saying that to me, _at_ me. Like somehow I don't know. I know it's a lot for you too take in, but frankly, I am kind of trying to absorb a lot myself right now too, because as of yesterday morning, I was under the belief you were dead, Bruce."

Bruce looked at her, and realized that was true. He hadn't honestly given that much thought aside from fleetingly. He had been so wrapped up in Madeline, he hadn't considered that Adriana was also trying to take in that he wasn't dead. Maybe it was because Alfred was handling it so well, that Bruce didn't really think about it. Although for Alfred this was the second time he had risen from the dead.

When it became apparent to Adriana that Bruce wasn't going to say anything she added. "You were the love of my life Bruce, and you died. I watched you die, over and over and over again. And I tried to reconcile myself with the fact that you were gone, that now, I was truly alone with Maddy. And then yesterday morning, I walk into a restaurant and there you are, sitting at a table with a gorgeous cat burglar. And it finally occurred to me, that you were _dead, _Bruce," Adriana was advancing until she was right in front of him, "You were free, and you chose to spend that new found life with a master criminal, instead of me. And that made it very clear to me. Because as pathetic as this sounds Bruce, I still loved you, these past eight years, I loved you. How could I not when you gave me my little girl? You gave me everything, no matter how complicated, yo _were _my everything. But you never loved me, so I think we should use these next few days to figure out how to make this work so Madeline can have both her parents. I am tired of having you attack me over Madeline, this is the starting point, for both of us, ok?"

Bruce watched Adriana with shock, he wasn't even able to respond before, in classic upset Adriana, she spoke first, "And if you had done the stupid physic exercises I left you, you wouldn't need that stupid brace!" She snapped, turning and rushing back into the apartment, leaving Bruce standing there feeling shocked and suddenly alone.

The afternoon had gone very well, Madeline had just said good bye to Bruce and was helping Alfred with the finishing touches on dinner. Adriana had walked Bruce to the door and stood in the doorway looking at him, arms crossed.

They hadn't said much to each other all day and Bruce had spent all his time with Madeline. Luckily, conversations with Madeline also allowed him to clear his mind in other departments and had let him come up with what he was about to say.

"You can stay for dinner if you like, you know?" Adriana said sounding a little tired. Bruce noticed that in her voice now. Before, even if he had called her up at three in the morning to stitch him up or set a bone she had always been chipper and bright, never sounding worn down.

"I know, but I figured you should have some time with Madeline. It's a lot for her to process, I think she will want to speak to you."

Adriana smiled at Bruce, her eyes accepting his kind words for what they were. Bruce hesitated on the first step and turned back to Adriana, this was his chance, now or never. "You know I came to California."

Adriana raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"After my 'death', I came out to California to see you. To… to try and…." Bruce shrugged, a slight smile caught in the corner of his mouth, "I don't know, to try and see if I could talk to you, if you _would_ talk to _me_. I realized before… that all I had left to truly fight for was you, I realized I had been stubborn and weak to not go to you sooner. Adriana, you were the reason I could go on, the one person left for me. So I went as soon as I could to see you." Adriana's face was contorted in confusion. She stepped out of the door frame and closed the door to stare, full attention on Bruce. "And I saw you, coming out of one of your hospitals. You looked good. Healthy. Healthier then when you had been in Gotham. And all I could think, was how could I ask you to leave behind your life for me? To live on the run with a man who was pretending to be dead?"

Without thinking about it, Bruce raised his hand and put it on her cheek, rubbing his thumb across her cheekbone, he was struck by how soft her skin was. "I sat in my car and watched you talk to some man in a suit, and wondered who was he? Were you together? Did he look after you? And I realized I had no right to think that because what had I done for you? When you gave me so much."

Tears welled in Adriana's eyes as she listened to Bruce's confession. "You deserved to be happy, to continue to do the work you loved. I couldn't ask you to give that up for me after you had already given up so much for me."

Adriana reached out and touched his chest as if she couldn't believe he was really there, with her after all of it. She looked up at him, the tears finally breaking through their barriers and rolling down her cheeks. "Bruce," She put her hand on his cheek, "You and Madeline are all I could ever want or need in this life." And with that, without caring about the consequences Adriana lifted herself up and let her lips brush against Bruce's as he devoured her in an unbreakable embrace.


End file.
